


The Ocean is Dark and Deep

by Pleasedial123



Series: Dark Waters [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Sakura, Dark, Gato and his thugs, Gato is cruel but not supid, Shinobi Politics, Violence, Wave arc AU, Zabuza isn't a bad guy, buts he's not a good one either, hurt sakura, not always stupid, threats of rape, threats of underage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 16:01:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21660883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pleasedial123/pseuds/Pleasedial123
Summary: Gato doesn't trust Zabuza to get the job done. Instead he sends a team of thugs to ambush the Bridge Builder on his return to Wave. Team Seven, exhausted from their fight and Kakashi still unconscious, is separated. Sakura gets captured.Terrible things happen to pretty girls in the hands of men like Gato and his thugs.But Zabuza puts his claim in first and suddenly Sakura isn't the prisoner of a civillian businessman and his hired muscle. Suddenly she's Momichi Zabuza's.
Series: Dark Waters [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1773646
Comments: 435
Kudos: 1890





	1. Washed Away

Sakura kept her mouth shut even as her cheeks smarted from the smacks. Her head hurt too and her arms and her legs. They’d kicked her when she’s fallen, hard, and bent her fingers back until she screamed. Sakura did nothing but scream and cry and keep her mouth shut for real words. 

“She’s useless,” Gato scoffed, “No training and no information. Get rid of her.”

“Can we take her downstairs boss,” the man with the toque asked, leering at Sakura.

“I don’t care, just kill her after. I don’t want any trace of Konoha ninja tied to me,” Gato waved a hand dismissively. 

The man with the toque grabbed her shoulders and gave Sakura a smile that had her freeze in terror. Sakura focused her eyes on the ground and clenched her hem so hard the material started to cut into her hands. She was pushed towards the door, about to be led to…. It would take one quick kick to collapse his throat. One kick to get his hands off of her. She could do it. She could.

But… but then she’d have ten other thugs to get through. And…in the corner…

A rough hand grabbed her around one of her wrists as she passed by the couch set up near the door. The hands on her shoulders left. Sakura stared hard at the ground, not daring to look up at the silent looming presence that had been sitting in the corner of the room until now. 

“I want this one,” Momochi Zabuza said roughly.

Sakura felt tears spring to her eyes but valiantly tried to stop them. They gathered on her lashes but no further as her wrist bones were grinded together. She was pulled forward, her arm smarting from the tug and tried not to fall. Momochi Zabuza looked at her with narrowed dark eyes, a scowl apparent even under his mask. 

“Hmph,” Gato said, eyeing Zabuza with contempt and a sliver of fear, “Fine. Consider her yours. Make sure she stays put or put her down.”

Zabuza gave a grunt and pulled her again. Sakura stumbled into his knees and he gave a growl of annoyance before pulling her between his spread legs. Sakura stood stiff as a board as he pushed her down. And then…and then he did nothing, simply kept a tight grip on her arm and made her sit like a dog at his feet. Sakura focused on the carpet, focused on counting the threads as Gato started to talk again. She blocked out the words, tried to block out the feeling of the hand on her wrist, tried to block out thoughts of-

There were eighty three threads of blue in the swirl, she thought faintly with terror. Now count the white ones she told herself.

.--.

Sakura followed on Momochi’s heel knowing she had little choice when her wrist was still firm in his grip. The room he led her to was one of the nicer ones, with a real bed, a bathroom, a chair, and most importantly a large window. Momochi grumbled something under his breath as they entered and harshly kicked the door shut. 

He finally let go of her wrist and Sakura’s eyes immediately darted to the window. The door was a no-go with too many people between her and the exit but the window…it was only the third story, she could do that if she landed it right.

“If you try to go out the window you won’t even make it out the yard,” Momochi snapped and Sakura froze.

He gave a growl and pushed her towards the window, one hand now tangled in her collar. He stood her before the window and grunted.

“Look.”

She did.

The house, or manor really was…on an island, she realized with despair. Wave was an island nation, with a smattering of smaller ones around it and this was one of the small private ones. Sakura looked at the distance to the shore and knew if she swam they’d catch her in a boat long before she made it. 

“Do you understand?” Momochi said giving her a faint shake, “You try to escape, you die.”

She nodded once, head jerking.

“Do you understand what happened today as well?” He asked, voice rough as he turned her to look at him. 

He’d used his free hand to pull his mask down, the bandages loose at his throat, and baring his sharp teeth. Sakura stared at him, throat closing up. He let go of her collar and looked at her with narrowed eyes before he threw himself down in the armchair. He pinned her with his gaze as if considering a trembling mouse before a cat.

“Come here,” he demanded.

But Sakura couldn’t. She trembled and gripped her hem again and tried to breathe.

“I said,” Momochi said, voice dark, “Come here.”

Sakura took one step forward on trembling legs. And then another. When her knees touched his he grunted, satisfied.

“Do you understand what has happened here?” he asked again.

“I…” she stuttered, “Gato gave me…”

“Gato gave you to me,” Momochi nodded sharply, “To do whatever I want with.”

Sakura swallowed. And he watched her, eyes narrowed and a scowl twitching at his lips, but he didn’t seem displeased; that must just be his normal look she thought a tad hysterical.

“Do you know what those men would have done to you if I hadn’t taken you?”

She nodded once, a jerky motion.

“Good. Not ignorant then,” he grunted.

He reached out again and this time Sakura couldn’t stop the fear or instincts any long. Her hand came up in a block even as she spun to throw a kick at him. He caught the leg easily, grabbing the block with his other hand. Sakura was jerked forwards onto his lap.

“Not completely untrained either,” he said.

Sakura froze as he let go of her leg his hand sliding up her side to tangle in the back of her hair.

“Where is your sensei, girl?”

She clamped her mouth shut. They’d…Kakashi-sensei and Naruto and Sasuke were safe. Sakura wasn’t but she comforted herself knowing the others were okay. Kakashi-sensei had still been unconscious when they’d been ambushed and while Naruto and his clones had carried him to safety, Sakura and Sasuke had been forced to split up and lead the thugs away while Tazuna and his family got to safety. Sakura didn’t remember much of the chase to be honest. She had thought the danger over when they reached Tazuna’s house, like it was a checkpoint or something. Instead, Gato had heard Momochi hadn’t been able to stop the bridge-builders return and had set up an ambush at his home for when he arrived. Sakura supposed they were lucky none of them had died. 

And Sakura…well Sakura was a good newly graduated student, but she was just that; she had no experience or training under her belt. She was still a ninja and it had enabled her to beat one thug. Two, three even, but the fourth after that had been her downfall. Sakura was a good student but even she couldn’t do much when she had fully grown men (civilian fighters even) holding her down. She’d had no leverage, no jutsu, just above average strength that was useless against so many opponents. 

“Loyal, eh?” Momochi grunted, cutting off her thoughts, “Well, no skin off my back.”

He pulled her forward by her hair, by her wrist, and Sakura stiffened with fear as his breath washed over her. This close she could see the spots of green in his dark eyes.

“Hmm. I see why that bastard wanted you. You’re a pretty thing aren’t you,” he said as if stating a fact.

Sakura swallowed thickly and tried to fall back on kunoichi training. She looked to the side and started to count the grains she could see in the wood wall. It didn’t work when teeth made contact with her neck. She whimpered, terrified as teeth scraped over her skin, hot breath on her throat. 

“Sit still,” Momochi growled into her skin.

She stiffened as he dragged his teeth across her neck, nearly bruising with the force of them. He focused on one spot a moment, teeth working, as he kept her pinned to her lap. He grunted when she tried to jerk out of his hold and she was left trembling. He tugged at her hair harshly and she couldn’t stop the yelp. 

She was nearly in tears when he abruptly stopped. He pulled back growling and let go of her wrist but not her hair. 

“Not good at listening to instructions,” he grunted, “Well, you’ll learn.”

He stood, hand still tangled in her hair and half led, half dragged her to the bed. Sakura gave a whine deep in her throat and gripped at his wrist, trying to alleviate the pressure of the grip. He tossed her on the bed effortlessly.

“Don’t move from here,” he ordered pointedly, “I will know if you have.”

She stared at him with terror and he gave a grunt before turning his back on her. Sakura pushed herself back until her back hit the wall. She curled her arms around her knees and didn’t dare take her eyes off Momochi as he started to take his bandages and arm warmers off. His headband followed into the pile and finally he tugged his pants down. He turned back to her and Sakura was barely breathing.

“Stay,” he ordered like she was a dog.

And then he was slamming the bathroom door behind him. The sound of the shower started a moment later and Sakura allowed a small sob to escape her lips. The sound was muffled as she buried her face in her knees. 

.--.

Sakura peered at Momochi through her bangs as he came out of the bathroom scrubbing at his hair with a towel. He blatantly ignored her and nudged his pile of bandages. Sakura’s eyes were drawn to his neck as he started to wrap it. He had…wounds. They must have been from the senbon. They had thought the senbon had killed him and at first Sakura had thought he survived by sheer toughness. But now, as she stared at the small puncture wounds done up with a stitch or two each, she remembered her lessons. 

Senbon were for incapacitating or poisons. They were killing tools only in trying circumstances. The Hunter-nin who had ‘killed’ Momochi had used them first. He had never meant to kill the man, just make it appear so. Sakura shook as she realized there was another missing-nin somewhere around here in disguise as a kiri hunter-nin. Momochi had a partner and Sakura’s chances of survival and escape had just dwindled exponentially. 

Sakura watched the stiff way Momochi moved, suddenly realizing he did indeed look stiff. He was moving slowly for how fast she knew he could. She thought of Kakashi-sensei unconscious after the fight and knew Momochi would be feeling much the same. It hadn’t been a long battle but Sakura had recognized the power in it. The jutsu that had been used had looked easy in their hands, but Sakura was sure even if she knew jutsu like the Hidden Mist one, she’d have never been able to cover such a large area so densely. And that Water-Prison would have taken a great deal of effort to maintain against someone like Kakashi-sensei. Not even including the high-level water manipulation dragon. The battle hadn’t been long or flashy but Sakura knew both men had used more chakra in it than she’d probably ever have in her life. And being knocked out by senbon, well enough to fool Kakashi-sensei, would have taken a toll. 

Sakura watched Momochi and knew he was as weak as he would ever be. She still knew she had no chance.

Momochi grunted and abandoned the rest of his stuff, his neck wrapped and his boxers still in place, and then he turned to her. Sakura stiffened under his look and he sneered before striding over. She tried to shrink into herself.

“You didn’t move,” he eyed her, “Good.”

Sakura didn’t bother to nod or anything, just sat perfectly still.

“What’s you name kid?”

She kept her mouth shut. He waited. And waited. And waited. Finally he rolled his eyes with a grunt and grabbed her arm, tugging her away from the wall. 

“I’m just going to call you brat if you don’t tell me.”

Sakura still kept her mouth shut. Momochi manhandled her away from where she’d been curled up and shoved her out of the way so he could flop down onto the bed.

“You can call me Zabuza,” he yawned.

Sakura stared at him, waiting for the other shoe to drop as he pulled a pillow under his head. He reached out and grabbed her wrist.

“If you try anything, I’ll know, and you’ll regret it. Ya hear me?”

Sakura stared at him and he seemed to take that as agreement because he grunted and turned his face away from her. Sakura sat perfectly still on her side of the bed, her wrists still held loosely in his grip. A minute later Zabuza’s breathing evened out and Sakura was left staring. She knew that hadn’t been an idle threat. He was asleep but it was probably, like most shinobi, a light sleep. She’d have to kill him in one blow and hope he didn’t wake up at her movement if she wanted to chance it. Not that she had the speed or decisiveness for that. And there was still the question of second ninja somewhere nearby. 

Sakura laid down and stared at the ceiling. Sleep didn’t come.

.--.


	2. The Smiling Face

Sakura awoke, pulled from sleep by a yank on her arm. She yelped, pained, and there was a grunt. She opened her eyes to find Zabuza squinting at her.

“Sorry,” he grunted, surprisingly.

He let go of her wrist and sat up. Sakura, jolted so abruptly from sleep, was already on high alert and aware despite the little amount of sleep she’d really gotten. She watched Zabuza lumber to the bathroom and realized she really needed to use it as well. She shifted uncomfortably and waited. Zabuza came out again a minute later, yawning. Sakura watched him move to his clothes and tried to get herself to speak up. She needed to use the bathroom but she didn’t want to draw his attention…

“You have five minutes,” Zabuza said as he pulled his pants on, “Clean up a bit.”

Sakura wanted to sigh in relief as she darted for the washroom, carefully locking the door behind her. She glanced around once, saw there was no window, and used the toilet before trying to do as he had said and wash up. She didn’t risk the shower or taking her clothes off but there was a face cloth near the sink. Sakura wiped the last traces of blood and dirt from her face and hands and then turned to the mirror. 

Her face was scraped up along one cheek, from where she’d been pushed to the ground when she was captured, and it hadn’t bled much but looked pretty raw. Her lip was split as well and she dabbed at the dry blood. She tried to straighten her hair but it was a lost cause with no brush. She couldn’t even find a tie and so she left it long and tangled. Her clothes she tried to pat the dirt out of but once again a lost cause. Then she turned to her neck. Tilting her head up she paled at the sight of the large blooming bruise across her throat. 

It was…it was…it was a hickey, she realized mortified. Tears sprang to her eyes again and swallowed them down as quickly as she could. She had no time for tears and she had the feeling Zabuza would hate them.

“Let’s go brat,” Zabuza ordered, banging a fist on the bathroom door.

Sakura took a deep breath, drawing it in and holding it. She met her own eyes in the mirror and breathed again.

“It will be okay,” she told her terrified reflection.

Her reflection didn’t seem to believe her and Sakura turned away. Zabuza was waiting by the door, dressed, and with his giant sword strapped to his back. He darted his eyes over her and then grunted, whether in satisfaction or disgust she really couldn’t tell.

“You will stay close to me,” he ordered, “And do whatever I say. Got it brat?”

She nodded once.

“Good.”

She followed him out of the room, staying close to his heel and wondered where exactly they were going. She really hoped it wasn’t back to Gato’s office.

.--.

It was Gato’s office.

Zabuza lounged on the couch like he owned the place, feet spread and arms stretched across the back, a glower on his face. Sakura he pulled in between his legs again, made her sit at his feet with her back against the couch. The worst part was if she tried to keep her head down Zabuza would give a yank on her hair. She was forced to sit up, eyes straight ahead. She couldn’t even count the threads in the carpet like this and was forced to watch Gato’s dealings. It was his office and his center of business it seemed. The door never seemed to shut with people coming and going. There were his thugs sent out where he needed them, reports coming in, shipping contracts being explained, crew members signing onto contracts, and the sort. It was all business, if some sketchy business at times.

The worst part was when the thugs came back later in the day, jeering and smirking to give their repots.

“North island didn’t give us enough for taxes,” one told Gato, “We gave them an extra three days but with interest.”

“Good. Cut off the Headman’s hand if he doesn’t pay,” Gato said, barely looking up from his ledgers.

“Yes sir. We also have the clerk’s daughter from Hiroshi Town. He tried to cover up some earnings they got from illegal exports. We thought we’d keep her company here while he gathers up the fines he now owes us.”

“She pretty?” Gato asked idly.

“Very,” one man laughed.

“Send her up to my room before you rough her up too bad then,” Gato said.

Sakura shuddered and curled further back into the couch. One of the thugs saw her movement and leered at her. 

“Enjoying her then, Momochi?” he laughed, eyes dragging down her neck.

“Fuck off,” Zabuza sneered. 

The man laughed but there was a hint of fear to it under Zabuza’s glare. Sakura stared straight ahead and tried to ignore the looks and leers and all the conversation. It was a long day and her legs were cramping by the end of it. As far as she could tell Zabuza had played guard dog all day, looking intimidating and watching Gato’s back and nothing more. By the time Gato announced he was retiring and stood Sakura wasn’t sure if she would be able to stand. Zabuza dragged her up by her hair when she nearly fell. She bit her split lip hard at the pain but it got her to her feet. 

“Do we need to get you a collar for her?” Gato laughed

Sakura shuddered and tried to focus her eyes forward, her legs trembling.

“She’ll learn,” Zabuza grunted.

Gato eyed her. He’d ignored her all day but now he finally looked at her and Sakura hated the way his beady eyes drifted across her, lingering on her chest and her waist, on the bruise on her neck.

“Hmph. I see why Yoshiro wanted her. Pretty coloring,” Gato said.

He stepped closer, looking at her hair, at her eyes, and Sakura barely dared breath as he inspected her.

“Be glad he didn’t get her,” Zabuza grunted, fingers still tangled in her hair, which stopped her from looking down, “Or he’d be dead.”

“Yoshiro’s good with a sword, he could have handled a kid,” Gato scoffed.

“She might look weak but she’s still trained,” Zabuza snorted, “She’d have killed him in an instant and then you’d have had to use resources to try and hunt her down.”

“Well, you won’t let that happen will you?” Gato said finally looking away from her, “I don’t want any undo attention from Fire Country at this stage.”

Zabuza grunted and Gato seemed to dismiss him because he shoved Sakura out of the room.

“Doesn’t want attention he says,” Zabuza grumbled lowly, “But kidnaps it’s genin and tries to rape and kill them. Idiot.”

Sakura didn’t voice any agreement or disagreement. While it was true that was a stupid way to avoid attention, Sakura also thought Zabuza was overvaluing her worth; Sakura was quite aware that if she died here, she’d be written off by Konoha with only a cursory investigation if that. 

Zabuza finally took his hand out of her hair and Sakura was thankful for that at least. Her head was smarting.

.--.

Zabuza was in the bathroom, door slammed closed, when the room door rattled as it was opened. Sakura panicked, unsure what to do about other people entering Zabuza’s room. The only person she could think of who would barge in would be Gato. And Sakura wanted nothing to do with him, no attention from him. 

Sakura rolled off the bed and under it. It was a tight fit under the bed, but she was skinny girl. She pushed herself against the wall and barely dared breath as the door creaked open. She could hear no footsteps, felt no shivers from footfalls, but sandals stepped into view. The sandaled feet (ninja sandals she worried) paused a moment and then turned unerring towards the bed. Sakura curled her hands over her mouth to silence her breathing. 

A face came into view and it was a very pretty face but Sakura broke into a light sweat at the sight of it.

“Well hello there,” the person said, voice soft and breathy. 

Sakura stared at him, or maybe her, in terror.

“Why are you under the bed?” they asked.

Sakura stayed silent.

“Will you come out?” they smiled.

Sakura shook but obeyed because what choice did she have. This was obviously the second ninja, Zabuza’s partner, and despite the pretty face and smile they were still a missing-nin and working for Gato. That told Sakura a bit about what they might be like as a person and that was not a person to disobey. They’d just drag her out if she didn’t come out anyways.

Sakura shimmed out from under the bed, on the opposite side of course, and clenched her hem again (a nervous habit she was developing she realized) and looked at their hands, unable to bring herself to look at their pretty smiling face. The person watched her a moment and then made their way around the bed and into her personal space. They did it slowly, like approaching a skittish animal (or maybe like an animal stalking its downed prey). They projected their movements so not to startle her, but Sakura still flinched as they reached for her face. They gripped her chin gently and tipped her head up. Sakura was forced to look at the large doe eyes and the perfect skin and the pretty smile. They were much prettier up close she thought inanely. Water was wet, sky was blue, this person was beautiful. 

Sakura wondered how many people they had smiled at before murdering.

They tilted her head looking across her face, across the scrapes she’d gotten from being pushed face first in the ground when she’d been caught, looked at her split lip, and finally lifted their free hand to graze at her neck. She flinched again. Momochi’s teeth had left a dark bruise on the column of her throat and it was very apparent. 

The pretty man, Sakura was sure he was a man now with his Adam’s apple, stopped smiling. He stroked her hair out of her face once, like a calming gesture, and let her go. He strode for the bathroom with purpose in his stride and slipped in like he had the right. 

Sakura waited for yelling, expecting it from Momochi, but instead something was hissed lowly. The murmur of conversation buzzed but she couldn’t make out the words. Sakura looked at the door and then back at the bed. She took a deep shuddering breath and slid a bit closer to the bathroom, as quietly as she could. 

“-It was for her own good,” Momochi snapped.

“Her own good?” the pretty man hissed, voice still so lovely even sharpened in anger

“Yoshiro,” Momochi said flatly as if that was a whole conversation.

Sakura was pretty sure one of the thugs downstairs had been called Yoshiro. The one in the purple toque. The one that had wanted her.

“Give her to me,” the pretty young man said, voice breathy.

“No.”

“I could…” the pretty man said.

“No. If she gets free we’ll be fired. She either stays with me or she dies.”

Sakura flinched and took a step back. She’d known, sort of, what her choices were. It wasn’t just escaping Gato and his men, it was escaping Momochi Zabuza. His job would be on the line if she evaded him and Sakura supposed that long-term well-paying missions weren’t all that common for missing-nin. She was quite sure he’d strike her down with no hesitation if she tried to run. She didn’t know why he had claimed her and taken her from the thugs, if he meant to rape her later or what, but Sakura knew that he would cut his losses if she tried to run. 

Sakura scooted away from the door and sat at the foot of the bed, wrapping her arms around her knees. A few minutes and a little more hushed conversation later and the pretty man came back out a scowl on his face that still made him look even prettier somehow. He’s prettier than Ino she thought hysterically. He looked at Sakura for a long moment and his face softened. He crouched in front of her and gently touched her cheek as if to comfort her.

“Zabuza isn’t so bad,” he said.

Sakura wondered if maybe he’d been in her place one day. He was truly so pretty and this close he looked young as well. He looked like he wanted to say more but instead he sighed and stood. Zabuza stepped out of the washroom tightening the bandaged mask about his face.

“I’ll go scout,” the pretty young man said, “The Bridge is still being worked on but the family hasn’t returned to their home.”

“Hn. Gato is planning to wait for it to be further along before he gets involved. I warned him about Hatake.”

“He was quite exhausted,” the young man pointed out.

“If I’m up, Hatake will be up,” Zabuza sneered, “And he’ll be spitting mad most likely. Don’t engage him.”

Sakura felt a rush of relief go through her. Kakashi-sensei had been dead to the world after the fight, and while Sakura was pretty sure it was chakra-exhaustion, she’d been worried it was something more. His brief words also told Sakura that her sensei and her team had escaped Gato's thugs. She'd been pretty sure they had by their absence here, but she hadn't dared truly hope...

The pretty young man nodded and slipped back out the door, leaving them alone again. Sakura waited as Zabuza shouldered his sword.

“Let’s go,” he grunted. 

Sakura followed and hoped it was not back to Gato despite how foolish that hope was.

.--.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haku and his soft heart and his stupidly pretty face. But despite how kind he is, he is loyal to Zabuza, and to Sakura he is an enemy.


	3. The Calm Before the Storm

Sakura followed Zabuza as closely as she dared and her breath caught as they started going down stairs instead of up towards Gato’s office. Stepping into the grey morning light had Sakura sucking in a deep breath of the fresh air. Nearly two days in that manor and it had felt like eternity. Sakura hadn’t been sure she’d step into the fresh air every again.

Zabuza led her around the property and Sakura took the chance to try and memorize the layout. Escape was a pipe dream, but Sakura knew it and death were her only option. For now she couldn’t do much, but she could do this: she calculated the distance to shore, counted the number of men on the land, looked for advantageous spots to hide or defend from. 

The island the manor sat on wasn’t too far from the main shore, easily swimmable for a shinobi. It was set in a curve of the shore, protected from the stronger winds coming off the ocean and the island itself wasn’t overly large. It was a modern style manor, all straight lines and tall. Surrounding the property were a variety of fields and sheds, probably a great deal self-sufficient at it’s peak, but now those gardens looked empty, only one in use. She supposed since Gato had a stranglehold on the whole of wave he hardly needed to grow his own food, simply take it. 

There was a dock which was what they were heading too now. The island was long and narrow and at its tip was a long dock with a few boats attached to it. Sakura stayed on Zabuza’s heels and darted a look at the sight lines. The dock was very visible from the manor, from Gato’s office window even, and with no tree cover it was a gauntlet. Sakura would not have any luck trying to slip away this way. 

Zabuza stopped abruptly at the foot of the dock, arms crossing against his chest. He stood motionless as if waiting and Sakura stayed a step behind him. He hadn’t once glanced at her even as he offered her his back and she knew he didn’t think she could harm him. He was right of course and any move she made would be countered easily even with such an opening. Sakura wasn’t fast nor subtle enough to get off an attack against him. She was also weaponless and was unsure what damage her body could deal in this state; nothing fatal to someone like him at the least. She stood, looking about and trying to gather as much information about her surroundings as possible.

She also blatantly ignored the men who stared openly at them, eyes glancing between them. Some smirked and snickered, and she knew they were making jokes at her expense. A few crude gestures were aimed at her and she let her gaze slide over them like she hadn’t seen them. One man even opened his mouth to say something as he went past but one glare from Zabuza shut his mouth.

Sakura was wondering just what they were waiting for when a boat approached the island, a sparkle on the ocean. Zabuza’s eyes focused on it unnervingly and Sakura turned her attention to it as well. It was a nice boat and had come from the port at short off in the distance. When the boat docked the group that disembarked was not another bunch of thugs. They were dressed smartly and didn’t carry any open weapons. They also looked very disdainful of the men around them and more so of Zabuza.

“Gato’s waiting,” Zabuza grunted at them when the first opened his mouth.

He turned on his heel and strode back towards the house. Sakura followed quickly trying to ignore the eyes that fell upon her at her action. 

When they reached Gato’s office Zabuza didn’t take the couch and instead leaned into the corner, arms crossed as if he was bored. Sakura hovered beside him, unsure of what to do, but his attention never turned to her. He was watching the men who entered the room. They had schooled the disdain from their faces and stood before Gato calmly. One man took a seat in front of the desk and some pleasantries were exchanged with Gato. They all sounded strained. 

Sakura picked up pretty quickly that this was another trading group, some form of corporation that had once traded with Wave and had been pushed out. Now they were negotiating tolls to make port at Wave on their journey past it to the North. Sakura also learned the situation around Wave was more dire than she’d expected. While Gato only claimed Wave fully, he had influence in most of the ports around Wave on the mainland of Fire Country. Anyone going North or south along this stretch of the Ocean would inevitably need to make port at one or his ports. Gato was slowly wringing tolls out of all the trade merchants on this route. 

The men before them were a part of a large group of merchants that were sent to negotiate the tolls. It was not pleasant negotiations. A few snarls were pulled out, a few sneers. More yelling. But no violence erupted only because when it seemed to bubble up the new comers would dart a glance at the glowering Zabuza. 

“Even a contract can be ignored,” the leader finally sneered as Gato presented a contract, “We must expect fair dealings from you? We’ve heard rumors of how you have treated people.”

“Oh?” Gato asked, voice dangerous as he looked at the men, “And who have you heard such rumors from? I am a fair man and you shouldn’t believe such lies from people who dislike my success.”

Sakura had to admit Gato put up a good front. He hadn’t given an inch in these negotiations, he knew his way around legal terms, around making himself seem legitimate. Sakura knew he had to be a good businessman, and a bit of a conman, to do as he had already done, but it was different seeing it. Sakura’s first opinion of him had been ‘evil’ for what he did to the people of Wave, for how callously he treated her, and after it had been ‘idiot’ for how dismissive he was of shinobi. Now she knew he was just like most men, a bit of everything. A bit smarter than she’d hoped though (beyond his ideas of shinobi at least). 

“I do not have to listen to rumors,” the leader insisted, “I can see your blatant disregard right before my eyes.”

His eyes swung to Sakura and she stayed perfectly still.

“I don’t even need to ask why you have a young girl, a child, treated like a slave. I can see they way she has been… used. You claim to be a fair man but allow a brute to do as he pleases with a child.”

“The girl is a different sort of scenario than this,” Gato sneered, “She looks innocent but she’s a ninja with blood on her hands. The shinobi, I’ve hired for security, I cannot dictate their actions beyond that.”

Sakura stared at the floor so she wouldn’t stare at Gato for his lies. The men continued arguing but now that their attention had been turned to Sakura she found eyes darting to look at her. The negotiations took hours and in the end no one seemed happy. Zabuza escorted the men back to their boat.

A hand caught her shoulder as one of the men asked Zabuza a question he didn’t seem too intent to answer. Sakura flinched at the touch and looked up at the face of one of the men. This one’s mouth was twisted in a frown as he looked at her carefully.

“You okay, lass?” he asked quietly.

Sakura couldn’t open her mouth. The answer had to be an apparent ‘no’ but what use was saying it out loud.

“You can’t help me,” Sakura said instead, voice flat even to her own ears.

The frown curled into sympathy. The man gave her a shoulder a comforting squeeze that didn’t help in any way and followed the rest of his party onto the boat. Zabuza glared at them until they were close to the far-off port.

“Good answer,” Zabuza grunted to her.

He glanced at her and Sakura kept her eyes focused on his chin. She remembered how harshly he’d tugged at her hair these past few days, always making her look up. He didn’t want her to avoid eye contact but Sakura could only work up the courage and the energy to look in the general direction of his face. Direct eye contact was beyond her.

“Civilians,” Zabuza snorted looking away and sounding contemptuous, “Always sticking their nose in business they shouldn’t.”

It was a harsh assessment. Sakura wanted to defend the only man who had shown her any real regard these past few days. But then she also thought of how easily he had walked away beyond a brief check. He had merely comforted himself here, merely allayed his own feelings. He’d checked on her, would tell himself he’d tried, that there was nothing more he could do, and he’d go one with his life while Sakura wouldn’t. Maybe he had good intentions but not good enough. Sakura didn’t want sympathy from that sort of man. Zabuza was right; if he wouldn’t commit to actually being of any help, he shouldn’t stick his nose into it. It was lucky Zabuza had taken no offence, had been happy with her answer, or she could have suffered for some stupid man’s ‘good intentions’. 

Sakura stared into the distance even as Zabuza led them back to the manor. The situation was settling in and Sakura found herself tried at that mere thought.

That night Zabuza dropped a plate of food in her lap and Sakura ate like a starved thing, not having eaten in nearly two days. The food made her feel better than any sort of sympathy or kind words.

.--.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more Wave politics and some more insight into Gato's empire. 
> 
> Also the calm before the storm. Story starts getting darker now.


	4. The Creak of Leather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Strong Language

“Momochi, I’ll need you to go watch the eastern port,” Gato said one morning.

Sakura paid attention to the words only because she had little else to do. She’d been here nearly four days now and done little beside follow at Zabuza’s heels as he glowered at everyone like Gato’s shadow. Four days of nothing but keeping her mouth shut, trembling under any attention, and hoping every night that Zabuza would do nothing but ignore her and fall asleep like he had been doing. Four days of spotty meals, of feeling on edge constantly while doing absolutely nothing. Sakura was practically shaking out of her skin with a terrible mix of nerves and exhaustion. 

Gato was flying through business, a change apparently coming. When they’d arrived in Wave he’d had power but he seemed to be consolidating it fully now. He seemed to have set up dominos and now he was tilting them over. With the amount of people in and out of the office, the amount of things being done, it’s no wonder he’d hired a missing-nin as security now. It was no wonder he had no time for the Bridge Builder and her team yet. Hopefully they took advantage of Gato’s distraction for now. 

“Smugglers?” Zabuza grunted to Gato’s command.

“I received intel that the Yashido Corporation was going to smuggle in a ship tonight,” Gato said, “Since there is a storm rolling in on that side of the island they’re hoping none of my ships will be out.”

Zabuza grunted and stood. Sakura stood at his beside him and then froze when Gato’s eyes focused on her. 

“Leave your toy,” Gato told him.

Zabuza narrowed his eyes but Gato just waved a hand.

“That port is close to the bridge; You take her and you’ll draw their attention. I need you to do a job not tussle with some other shinobi who aren’t a problem yet.”

Sakura had the brief thought that Gato was underestimating how much of a problem he already had. He’d attacked them and kidnapped Sakura, and while Sakura wasn’t completely sure of her worth or of Kakashi-sensei yet, she remembered his mantra of abandoning teammates. She knew he’d be looking for her. He might not have the strength to find her this far away, nor tangle with Gato’s strong hold, but if they dragged her right past him…

Zabuza grunted lowly, sounding both displeased but agreeing.

“I don’t like my things touched. Keep your thugs away from her,” Zabuza said.

“I’ll make sure her cunt remains untouched for you,” Gato said dismissively. 

Sakura stared at Zabuza in terror, begging him not to leave her with Gato. He gave her a pointed look but Sakura couldn’t decipher what he meant by it. Then he was out the door and gone. Sakura hunched her shoulders.

“Sit,” Gato ordered, already looking at papers.

She looked to where he’d pointed and then sat, at the edge of his desk, near his feet. Despite her tense shoulders and her fear he proceeded to ignore her for the rest of the day, simply carrying on with business. 

.--.

“Boat’s ready, Boss.”

Sakura peered up at the bald thug at the door through her bangs. He was standing with an easy posture, a slight smirk on his scared face.

“Good,” Gato said, setting aside the last of his work, “Weather still clear?”

“On this side of the island. We should get the storm tomorrow a little later in the day.”

“Good.”

Gato stood and Sakura waited, hoping maybe he’d forget about her curled against his desk.

“Ah, and got that other thing you wanted,” the bald man said and his smirk turned into a full blown grin.

Sakura clenched her fists against her knees as Gato stepped forward to take something. She didn’t see what it was but the way he turned to her smiling made her stomach drop.

“Lean forward,” he demanded. 

Sakura trembled as she did so. He stepped behind her and she tried to breath. And then there was something thick coming over her head and tightening around her neck.

Sakura gave a gasp, hands darting up, images of garrotes in her mind. Gato chuckled and the thing tightened briefly before loosening enough she could breath. As Gato stepped away from her Sakura’s fingers darted across the thing. A collar she realized. A dog collar she realized further with mortification. It was already well worn, thick leather and Sakura stiffened as she realized there was dried blood flaking off of it. 

“I’m surprised Zabuza didn’t collar you earlier with how he likes to pull you around,” Gato chuckled, sounding genuinely amused. 

Sakura barely heard him as she stared at his hand in horror. He was holding a chain leash that led directly back to her neck. The tug that followed his words caught her off guard as she stood frozen stiff. She was pulled to her knees, hands darting up to the collar to try and stop it from choking her. Sakura shook as she realized the collar was loose enough not to strangle her, but tight enough she could barely get a finger between it and her skin.

“Let’s go,” Gato told his thug, already ignoring Sakura at his heels.

Sakura scrambled to her feet to follow, unwilling to be dragged by her throat. She was acutely aware of her pulse, fingers twitching towards the buckle of the collar. She didn’t know what Gato would do if she tried to take it off. 

The boat that had been spoken off was a flashy modern boat, a luxury one, and already running and ready to go, a group of men stationed on it like guards. Sakura looked at Gato’s heels to avoid looking at their eyes. More than one was snickering at her. Gato sat on a leather seat, reclining easily, and Sakura stood uneasily as far away as the chain would allow. Gato gave her half a glance and then tugged until she was sitting at his feet again. A moment later the engine roared and the boat was off. Sakura sat trying to breath evenly and wondered where they were going.

They were going to shore, that was easy enough to realize, but Sakura didn’t know why. She was pretty sure this wasn’t about her as everyone barely paid her any mind. But there was a chance Gato would take this chance to as he had said ‘get rid of her’. Sakura clenched and unclenched her fists running through all the techniques she knew from the academy. If they tried to make her dig her grave, she was going to have to fight. 

By the time the boat was slowing Sakura had a light sheen of sweat heavy on her skin and it was taking all her effort to keep her breathing steady. She kept herself from trembling through sheer force of will and knew she needed to be as calm as possible (despite how impossible that had been for so many days now). 

They pulled up to a dock that had a few men stationed about but was otherwise shut down for the night that was now falling quickly. The sun was nearly gone when they stepped onto the dock, Sakura following Gato and keeping an eye on everyone’s hands. They were in a port of sorts, one with a few scattered warehouses and a few boats docked. The party moved easily through the darkening night towards a warehouse at the far end of the port. This one, unlike the others, was well lit. More thugs loitered here, smoking and laughing, drinks in hand.

Sakura swallowed thickly as they headed for the doors. A man opened them for them, and Sakura was hit by a wave of noise, people cheering and laughing and talking. The smell followed next and Sakura nearly choked on the smell of blood and sweat and smoke and people. 

The warehouse was decently full, mostly men and mostly thugs but she spotted a few people in fishing outfits and in ship uniofmrs here, a few women hanging of arms there. People made way for Gato, parting before him and his retinue of guards while Sakura tried to hide behind him, still dodging his steps. The people in here seemed in a generally good mood, smokes in hand and drinks in others. If it were anywhere but a warehouse Sakura might have thought it a bar. 

And then they came to the center of the room. 

Someone had dug a pit into the floor, about six feet deep, and set up a low fence around it to stop people from falling in. The pit itself was wide and round. There was a door at each end of the pit, patched in and meant for something smaller than people. The hatch like doors had ropes leading up out of the pit and Sakura assumed people manned them to let whatever was supposed to get in, in. 

Sakura stared at the pit with apprehension; in this lightening and with the dirt she couldn’t tell if It was just dark soil or if it was bloodstained. From the smell it was blood and it made her nervous. 

A space was cleared and someone brought out a chair for Gato who sat in it like it was a throne overlooking the cage. Someone else set a drink in his hand and lit him a smoke and Sakura stared at the indulgent image made. He tugged at her idly and she took her place at his feet. 

“What’s the odds for the next round,” Gato asked a man at his side.

“Four to one for Takashi’s beast.”

“Put me down for it then,” Gato commanded.

Sakura stared at the pit with something heavy in her stomach. When the dogs were released into the ring she was barely even surprised. She flinched away as they started to tear into each other though. The crowd roared in appreciation or loss as the dogs ripped and tore and Sakura wished she could cover her ears.

“Not a fan eh?” Gato asked Sakura as someone dragged the dead dog from the ring. 

There was something in his smile, something like anticipation and Sakura kept her mouth shut. She sat still and silent through the next few matches, keeping her eyes more on the people than the pit. The people blurred together in a mix of smoke, clinking bottles, and a terrible sort of glee. Their faces all shifted like a blur, energy levels high as they cheered or booed and roared their approval for the blood sport. Sakura hated it. 

“Last match of the evening,” some man called, “And as promised, it will be an extra special event!”

Sakura stiffened as Gato chuckled, blatantly amused. 

“Put my dog in,” Gato smiled rather nastily as Sakura darted a glance up. 

The bald guard at Gato’s side, the one who’d brought her collar, took the chain connected to her from Gato’s hand and Sakura stared at him in terror. He smiled back at her and it was not a nice smile. He gave a sharp pull and Sakura had to focus on not choking as he dragged her towards the fence. The crowd wasn’t quiet, but they were definitely watching, eyes following as she was pulled forwards. 

When he tried to throw her in the pit she fought, trying to escape his grasp, but he was still choking her and it was half hearted at best on Sakura’s end. She didn’t know what to do. 

She hit the bloodstained ground lightly, able to catch herself even as she coughed for air. The chain had followed her and Sakura reached for the clasp before a growl froze her.

“Next round is something special,” someone announced, “We went and found all the worst beasts; the ones that have started going for people as well as other dogs. We found five of the beasts on Gato-sama’s orders and haven’t let them eat for a few days. They’re going to face Momochi Zabuza’s bitch!”

Everyone roared even as Sakura stared at the gates that were slowly open with sheer terror. Something that must have been the fear part of her was screaming in the back of her mind but her throat was too frozen to let the noise emerge .Her heart was beating a drum to the same volume of the roaring crowd, drowning Sakura in noise. 

Ahead of her there was the flash of teeth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliff Hanger!


	5. Like a Rabid Animal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Violence, animal abuse, animal death.

.--. 

Sakura was frozen for a long moment as she felt everything fade away in her panic. Ahead of her there was a gate, a grate, a set of bars. And behind that were rabid eyes and sharp teeth and the low rumble of angry starving snarls. The desperate scramble of claws on the ground was louder than the crowd to Sakura’s senses and for a long moment she was caught wide eyed and staring. Her fingers dug into the muddied, bloodied dirt and Sakura had time to such in a harsh desperate breath of air that wanted nothing more than to be a scream. 

She came back to herself and threw herself backwards against the wall just as the dogs burst out of their confinement. Five of them, all monsters of muscle with bared fangs and scars littering their hide, were rabid with anger and starvation. There was nothing but rage and anger in their eyes and Sakura felt terror haze her mind.

Sakura didn’t even have time to scream before the first one was on her and she was suddenly in a fight for her life. One mad dog she could have handled. Two would have been trickier but still in the realm of possibility. After that, with them mad from hunger and fighting, scenting blood still fresh in the air, and easy prey ahead while Sakura was exhausted, worn down, and weaponless?

Sakura stared death in the face and it was only instincts that saved her from fangs buried in her throat. She threw a fist, caught the dog hard enough across the jaw to throw it off. The second dog was already coming at her as well though and Sakura’s foot only just caught it, slowing it down but not stopping it. The third dog had slowed its charge to attack the dog she’d hit across the jaw, but the fourth and fifth dog were leaping past them and coming for easier prey; Sakura. 

Sakura managed to get her arm up between jaws and her face and screamed as they sunk into her arm. She wanted to pull away from the pain but forced herself to push forwards, pushing her arm further into its throat to stop it from coming closer. The other two dogs were snarling and clawing at what they could reach past the other dog and Sakura felt hot lines open up on her legs. 

‘I’m going to die here,’ she thought through the haze of adrenaline and terror. 

She was going to die painfully, ripped apart by dogs while men cheered and placed bets on her life. Her parents would get a neat little box without even ashes because her body would go to feed these animals and they’d never know how their daughter died. The rest of her team might keep looking for her and never find her blood splattered amongst all the rest in this pit. 

Sakura’s free fist blindly crashed into one of the dogs sending him screaming in pain. Sakura tried to breath and got a mouthful of her own blood that had splashed from her arm. She caught it’s head in her palm, took the arm still caught in the dog’s jaws and wrenched it with all her might in an odd direction. The snapping of the dogs neck was loud only to her ears. Sakura scrabbled her way away from the dog trying to savage her leg and she booted the dead one off of her. She rolled to her feet and let her back hit the wall. 

The one she’d send whimpering in pain was limping but snarling again. The one who’d had her leg was snarling as well, the taste of her blood on its teeth. The two dogs that had been fighting, well one was a clear winner and it was turning to her as well. 

‘Not like this,’ Sakura decided, blood pounding in her ears, ‘I won’t die like this!’

When the closest dog lunged Sakura lunged right back at it. She caught it by the scruff, twisted around it and slammed her fist down on its head. Something broke. It might have been its skull, it might have been her hand. Maybe it was both but Sakura had no time to worry about that as she dropped the now still one and turned to fend off the last two dogs. Teeth caught her dress and Sakura tried to lunge away.

Her foot caught on something, and only too late did Sakura remember the chain attached to her collar. 

She was sent crashing to the ground, tripped up by her own stupidity, and then there was a dog on her back and jaws trying to close on her shoulder. Sakura rolled, tossing the thing from her back and raised her hands in time to catch the jaws going for her throat. Sakura kicked up hard enough to collapse the things ribs and the dog fell away from her screaming in pain. 

It was just Sakura and one more dog. This was the dog that had killed the other, the one that had went for easier prey first and Sakura was leery of how intelligently it watched her. The one screaming in pain stopped making noise and Sakura could faintly see people screaming and cheering and booing and laughing but the only sound she could hear was the roar of blood in her ears. 

Sakura was tired of being a show for these people. 

When the dog came for her it was not a desperate feral kid fighting for her life that met it, but a shinobi raised for violence. Sakura found her calm and there was no shaky moves as she pivoted around the beast and brought her fist down on it’s spine. The crack was loud and Sakura followed it up by putting her heel through it’s neck to end it’s misery. 

Sakura stared down at the dog, adrenaline still heady in her veins and blood splattered liberally across her, and felt a moment of profound sadness for the dogs. They’d had no more choice than she in the matter, they’d been born and raised for this blood sport, and despite the terror and pain they’d caused her, Sakura knew it wasn’t their fault.

It was Gato’s.

Sakura raised her eyes to the crowd and found Gato lounging in his chair, smirking. He didn’t seem surprised to see her alive. He looked like he’d enjoyed a nice afternoon watching a soap opera. Sakura looked at his complete disregard for life, looked at how comfortable he was inflicting violence and terror on even a kid, and in that moment Sakura swore that when she got the chance, she was going to kill him. 

She was going to kill him with her bare hands.

Sakura choked as someone pulled viciously at her collar. She fell backwards with the pull and screamed wordlessly at the man who had grabbed the end of her leash. Her heels scrabbled against the ground to get leverage and slipped in all the new fresh blood. Someone was already dragging the dogs out but the man with her leash walked past them to the edge of the pit where he held her leash up for someone to grab. The bald thug grabbed the end and gave Sakura a cheery grin before he hauled her up and over the fence by it.

Sakura choked soundlessly as she pulled upwards by her collar. She’d gotten her fingers between the leather and her throat and tried to keep herself straight enough her neck didn’t snap. By the time she was hauled over the edge and onto the floor she was seeing dark spots in her vision. The first breath of air she sucked heady through her teeth had her eyes watering. She was left there, choking and gasping on the floor and it was only a few minutes later she realized it was because people were leaving.

The fights were over she realized dimly. Gato was getting handed money by someone and smirking as he tucked it in his suit. Sakura wondered if he’d bet on her and felt a jolt of genuine hatred slither down her spine.

Sakura had never really hated anyone before. She’d feared her bullies as a kid, she’d sort of disliked some kids who picked on her in the park, but she’d never hated anyone. But now it burned her throat and made her want to bare her teeth like those dogs had. Sakura wanted to see Gato choking and scrambling for air at her feet.

Sakura barely had the strength to get to her feet when Gato’s thug gathered up her leash again but she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of dragging her out of her so she stood with sheer stubborn will. The journey to the boat and then across the water was a blur to Sakura. She tried to focus on simply staying conscious. She only really started paying attention when Gato gave his thugs a wave and split off into his manor, heading for what must be his rooms. 

Sakura peeked up at the man holding her leash and found the same bald man who’d tossed her in the ring to begin with. He gave her one of those not-nice smiles again but didn’t do more then shove her forwards down the hall. When they stopped before Zabuza’s room Sakura couldn’t even feel relieved. 

“Momochi is a brave man for trying out your cunt,” the man laughed at her as he opened the door, “He’s got to be careful of your teeth though, right doggy?”

Sakura snarled at the man, an instinctive reaction of rage that she didn’t have the energy to try and contain, and he laughed again before shoving her in, tossing the leash after her and slamming the door. Sakura stood in the room, listening as the man walked away. She stood for a long moment before she forced her feet to move. The water burned her wounds but Sakura washed them as thoroughly as she could. Most were still bleeding, though sluggishly. Sakura resorted to cutting up one of the pillow cases in the room to wrap her worst wounds, especially the bites on her arm. After that she chugged as much water as she could stand and washed her mouth out, scrubbing at her teeth with her fingers to try and get the taste of blood out. 

She stared at the bed for a long moment at the end, her whole-body trembling with exhaustion. Then she kneeled on the floor and pulled herself under the bed, tucking herself up against the wall. 

She wished she had some food.

.--.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here there be monsters


	6. Skimming the Waves

Sakura awoke to the door opening, her whole body tense. Who had ever entered had stopped in the doorway and Sakura tried to get a good look at their shoes but they were just out of her sightline, hidden by the trailing ends of the blankets. She wished she’d moved those so she could see who’d entered. 

And then the sandals stepped into view with very familiar (an unique) leg warmers and Sakura started to breath again.

“Get out of there,” Zabuza grunted sounding annoyed.

Sakura let her lips peel back in a bit of a snarl that he couldn’t see.

“I won’t ask twice brat.”

Sakura weighed her options and found them lacking. But her body was frozen and the anger was still curling her lip. Adrenaline had already burst into her blood and Sakura shook as she tried to control herself. She knew she had to be calm, had to be cowed to keep the eyes off of her. How would Zabuza respond to her wild mix of anger and fear? She was afraid of what would happen if she snarled at him. 

She stayed curled under the bed, frozen in indecision as her hands clenched into fists. 

Zabzua growled and walked around the bed. Sakura tucked her legs closer to herself, tried to curl up into a small ball, but the bed wasn’t that big. A hand wrapped around her left ankle, and her right foot lashed out, hoping to catch him across the wrists. He just snarled and yanked her out from the bed, the carpet feeling like a burn against her skin and the low frame catching on her hair hard enough to pull some out. 

Sakura had just had the most terrifying night of her life and she was not ready to be treated like this. She couldn’t shrink down and cram all her emotions back into herself. She was too tired, too on edge, too much and it spilled out of her. 

She snarled loud and angry and when she was free of the bed she threw her heel at Zabuza’s face. He blocked that hit and then blocked the fingers that went straight for his eyes. It was rather easy with his size and weight to keep a steady grip on her hand and pin her knees to the ground with his leg. Sakura considered going for his eyes again with her free hand but her hands were shaking with both adrenaline and sheer exhaustion. She was breathing heavy, chest heaving, and her vision was spotting black at the quick motions.

Zabuza looked down at her and she stared right back up at him. His eyes dropped down her and Sakura knew exactly what she looked like. 

The collar was thick and heavy on her neck still, grimy and sticking to her skin with dried blood. Her hair was probably even worse than before, nothing but tangled and matted blood and barely even pink anymore. Her dress was beyond ruined was all she could say and she was lucky it was high quality enough it had held together until now. Her skin was flaking with dried blood and mud and her arm was bandaged but the rest of her wounds were shallow enough she’d left them. Sakura knew she looked like she’d lost a bad fight. 

Zabuza reached for her arm her and Sakura couldn’t stop the flinch nor the snarl that slipped out. He paused. 

“What happened?” he asked gruffly.

Sakura couldn’t open her mouth to tell him. She just stared at him instead, the snarl fading away. She felt traitorous tears rise in her eyes and reminded herself that Zabuza was not her friend. He was her enemy for all he’d not done anything to her yet. She was in enemy territory, kept like a pet by an enemy, and even if Zabuza was the lesser of two evils she knew he wouldn’t tolerate her tears. 

Sakura just wanted to be home. 

This time when Zabuza reached forward she didn’t growl at him, just lay perfectly still. His hand dipped and she didn’t even flinch until it brushed across the collar around her neck. The chain dangled down her side and Zabuza’s eyes followed it. He grunted and she thought he might have sounded a touch angry. He reached out for the chain and Sakura braced herself as he took it in hand. He watched her reaction, watched the way her free hand jerked towards the collar, and he scowled. 

He finally stood and let her go. Sakura lay still for a long moment, waiting to see if he would do anything else, and when he didn’t she slowly stumbled to her feet. She’d left a splatter of blood on the carpet, some scabs ripped off when he’d dragged her out from under the bed. You couldn’t tell where the blood was coming from on her when she had so much dried mud and blood on her. 

Zabuza stared at her for a very long time and then he turned on his heel and strode for the door with purpose. Sakura followed, very carefully directing her feet despite her exhaustion. The chain she gathered up in her hands so she didn’t step on it. They went to Gato’s office and Sakura wanted to scream. She didn’t; held it in by the skin of her teeth and felt her shoulders hunch forwards even as Zabuza strode in like he owned the place.

“You said she’d be untouched,” Zabuza sneered, something like an angry accusation on his tongue, “I don’t like to share.”

“I told you I’d make sure no one used her cunt,” Gato said dismissively, “And no one did.”

“You threw her in your dog fighting ring.”

“And she did well. Won me a tidy sum of money,” Gato smirked, “She’s still alive so stop complaining. If she’d died I’d have found you another cunt if you wanted one that bad.”

Zabuza was silent before he gave a growl and turned back towards the door.

“I’ll handle the investigation at the docks today,” Zabuza told Gato.

“Good,” Gato waved him away.

Sakura followed on Zabuza’s heels and only darted a glance at him when they headed for the front door of the manor. This time the fresh air seemed stifling. Storm clouds had gathered above them and Sakura remembered the warnings of a storm. Zabuza headed straight for the water and Sakura automatically looked for a boat before she watched with wide eyes as Zabuza stepped right onto the water and didn’t sink. He glanced back at her as he did so, saw her wide-eyed look of surprise and stared back at her.

“You can’t even water walk?” he asked, voice leaning towards incredulous, “What sort of chunin are you?”

She hadn’t told him anything, not about her team, not about her skills, not even her own name. She’d been ready to hold her tongue when they’d tried to get information out. She’d barely spoke to him at all until now and to be honest it had been mostly fear holding her tongue. She risked a glance at his face again and decided there was no harm in knowing her rank. What could he do with that anyways? 

She probably wasn’t leaving here alive so what use was that information?

“N-not a chunin,” Sakura managed, voice rough.

“Not a chunin?” he asked with a frown, “What the fuck? This is a B-rank mission, maybe even A-rank. Konoha only sends chunin or jonin on those ones.”

He said it sort of derisively but was still looking at her with a narrowed gaze. She didn’t answer, biting her lip and staring at his feet trying to work out how he was walking on water. It had to be chakra, but how?

“How long ago did you leave the academy?” he asked after a moment.

“A month ago,” Sakura swallowed.

He stared. Sakura let the silence reign and stared at his feet again. She’d seen him do this before she remembered, when he’d been fighting Kakashi. She’d been too twitchy to pay that much attention to it but he’d done it easily mid-battle. 

“Do you know tree-walking?” Zabuza asked gruffly, breaking her thoughts.

She shook her head.

“You know what chakra is at least, right?” he asked, something like contempt in his voice.

“Yes,” she nodded feeling a tad embarrassed by her lack of skills. 

“Circulate chakra to your feet,” he told her, “For tree walking you hold a layer there. For water you have to circulate it.”

That was both helpful and not and Sakura wasn’t really sure what he was trying to say but she needed chakra in her feet. She reached for it carefully and directed it down to her soles. The first step onto water had her sinking to her knee, but the second step was only to her ankle. By the forth step she was flat on the water. She looked down at the ocean and gave a careful little jump. She didn’t sink even as she touched back down. That had been…easy.

She looked up at Zabuza to find him staring again. She shifted under the gaze but he didn’t break it. She wondered if he had just been so skeptical of her skills he didn’t think she could master the technique. After a long moment Zabuza finally turned away and started walking. Sakura followed him.

She did fine for the first few minutes, following along easily with barely a thought to her feet. But as the shore drew closer Sakura got more and more tired. She knew she didn’t have that much chakra, and this fact was compounded by the fact she had almost no real energy at all at the moment. She hadn’t eaten in a few days now and she’d had that fight last night and…

Zabuza caught her before she hit the water face first. He hauled her up by the back of her shirt and Sakura felt her dress strain worryingly. She was afraid it was going to rip for a moment but then Zabuza was tossing her over his shoulder. 

She thought about squirming, about being uncomfortable, but couldn’t dredge up the energy to do so. Instead she lay still over his shoulder, watching the water ripple away from his feet. She was acutely aware of his hand on her leg holding her steady. She was very glad when he had yet to slide it up into inappropriate territory. She hadn’t forgotten that Zabuza had claimed her as his and everyone agreed it was because he wanted someone in his bed. She’d grown comfortable with him for the simple reason he’d proven to be the lesser evil on Gato’s island. 

Sakura knew it could all change in an instant if he decided to take what he’d claimed he wanted. 

For now though, Sakura stayed still and let him carry her like she was a sack of rice away from the ocean and over the shore until they were on a dusty road. Sakura couldn’t even be excited when they entered a town. It was ramshackle and poor looking but there were people on the street (who quickly got out of their way and averted their eyes). 

Zabuza stopped at a building she couldn’t see at her angle and them they were stepping in and Sakura was being set on her unsteady feet. Sakura recognized signs that she was in a bathhouse even as an older woman bowed quickly to Zabuza.

“Wash her,” Zabuza demand, shoving Sakura roughly at the older woman who helped steady her, “And if she isn’t back in this spot in half an hour, I’ll kill all of you.”

Sakura trembled faintly under the killing intent he leveled at them. It was just a sliver, just to edge his threat, but it still shook her. The older lady dug her nails into Sakura’s arm as she quailed under the weight. And then he was gone. They both stood for a moment and Sakura sucked air in through her teeth as the woman panted.

“W-well,” the woman choked, “C-come alone then.”

The bath house was an old one, obviously a nicer one at one point but looking very empty now. The older woman hovered by Sakura, wringing her hands as Sakura slowly stripped out of her ruined dress. Sakura’s fingers shook against the collar and the woman had to step forward to undo it for her. It tightened before peeling away, dried blood peeling with it and Sakura sucked in a grateful breath. The older woman made her sit on a small stool and Sakura did so gratefully, her legs ready to give out. The older woman doused her with bucket after bucket of water, trying to scrub gently around her obvious wounds. Sakura took a cloth to her arm, hissing as it went over her bite wounds. 

The woman started on her hair and Sakura winced at the tangles that caught.

“This might be a lost cause,” the woman said softly, “It’s so knotted and matted.”

She didn’t mention the blood but Sakura could see it washing away slowly. Sakura swallowed knowing how terrible her hair was. The thugs had tousled it in their scrap and dragged her by it once or twice. And then two days without a brush and with Zabuza pulling at it. Not even counting her fight in the blood and mud. Some of it was terribly snarled and the thought of how it caught and tore in her fights as well as the memory of hands in it made her want to cut it off.

Sakura stayed silent as the woman tried her best. The woman’s fingers jumped across her bruises, tried not to look at them, and didn’t say a word as Sakura shuddered under her hands. They both carefully avoided Sakura’s neck.

By the time Sakura was getting dried off the woman wasn’t trembling as badly, but her lip wobbled as she looked at Sakura.

“I’m sorry,” the woman said so very quietly, eyes darting out as if to see if Zabuza had appeared, “I’m so sorry I can’t help you.”

“You’d die if you tried,” Sakura said not unkindly. 

The woman gave a jerky nod, still looking terrified and horrified in equal measure. 

“I have…” the woman said looking at Sakura’s clothes, “I have some clean clothes that might fit you. If… if he won’t mind.”

“Please,” Sakura said a tad desperately.

Her dress was falling apart and so stained with blood and dirt it was barely the same color it had been originally. Not even to speak of the smell. She had picked the red dress months earlier because it drew attention to her growing curves and looked quite pretty on her. Now she wanted nothing to do with any of that. Red was too eye catching and she didn’t want anyone looking at her barely-there curves. She turned away from the heap and wished she could burn it. 

The woman disappeared out of the room and Sakura sat in the towel trying to work the knots out of her hair herself and failing. Sakura wished she had a pair of scissors to cut it all off. When the woman returned Sakura gratefully accepted the old set of clothes. She dressed as quickly as she could, still stiff and sore and the woman helped as much as she could. The clothes were an old pair of pants that reached mid-calf, drab green. A short sleeveless kimono fit over that, grey in color trimmed with white with a white obi to hold it shut. It reminded her of the fisherman’s outfits she’d seen.

“It belonged to my son,” the woman said, tone sad and distant.

Sakura didn’t ask where her son was. Zabuza met them in the entrance and Sakura shrunk under his intense scrutiny.

“Good,” he finally grunted. 

He tossed some bills at the woman and she bowed quickly and muttered thanks. Sakura gave her a thankful look over her shoulder and the woman bowed her head. Sakura was feeling so much better after the bath that she walked under her own power out the door. Zabuza led her back through the streets until they reached a small house. He barged in without a word and Sakura followed. She realized a moment later it was a small clinic. Sakura was once again shoved into someone else’s arms.

“Fix her,” Zabuza glared at the old man.

The man swallowed and nodded, looking down at her. He frowned with concern and very gently tilted her arm.

“Come sit down dear,” he said, voice quavering just the slightest as Zabuza took a seat near the door. 

Sakura had been very carefully not thinking about infection or the wounds and now that he turned to them Sakura worried. She sat quietly as he disinfected everything best her could and looked over all her scrapes. He applied a balm that reeked but felt cool to her skin muttering about fighting infection and carefully bandaged everything. There was a particularly long cut on her leg he used butterfly bandages on and the wound on her arm had him pulling out a needle.

Sakura looked away and clenched the side of the bed she sat on as he started to stitch. She grit her teeth and didn’t let a sound escape as he stitched her back up and bandaged everything. 

“You’ll need to come back in two weeks to cut those out,” the doctor told her, not looking at Zabuza, “And I have some antibiotics you will need to take.”

She nodded and accepted the small bag of extra bandaged and balm from him, as well as the antibiotics. They stepped out of his clinic without another word and Zabuza held out a hand. She handed the things over to him and he somehow made them vanish from sight. Seals she supposed. Zabuza continued standing there, hand out though and Sakura shifted.

“The collar,” he demanded.

Sakura swallowed and pulled the thing out of her waistband. She had hoped he wouldn’t comment on it, had hoped it would be forgotten. 

He took the leather thing that Sakura had tried to wipe down and looked it over. Sakura tried not to think of the matching ones that had been on some of the dogs last night. Tried not to think of how many things had died in that collar. Zabuza held it up and Sakura shrunk back.

“Please,” She said, voice breaking.

“It’s gotta go on, brat,” Zabuza said shortly. 

“P-please,” she repeated hands clenching in her new shirt hem. 

“I’ll hold you down if I have to,” he warned her, “Gato put it on so Gato will want it on.”

Sakura felt the press of tears again as she turned and lifted her hair up. She’d been a crybaby all her life but now she wasn’t allowed to cry and it was the most deserved. The collar went on. Sakura choked back tears as she focused her eyes on the ground. Zabuza didn’t say anything, just turned and strode off again. 

When she ran out of energy five minutes later and started to lag he scooped her up again. She hung there miserable and terrified and he walked like he had no embarrassment over having to carry her like this in public. They entered another store or two but Sakura kept her eyes on the ground and pretended she wasn’t there. Pretended she wasn’t slung over Momochi Zabuza’s shoulder, pretended she didn’t hurt all over, pretended she’d never been to anywhere called Wave.

They followed the road out around the ocean and towards the same port Sakura knew she’d fought in last night. She stiffened unable to pretend not to be there anymore but was at least sure Zabuza wouldn’t throw her back in the pit after fixing her up and having her cleaned up. Sakura was more concerned about the fact Zabuza had cleaned her up so thoroughly. For now she was couldn’t stop stiffening at the thought of the pit so she shoved other worries aside for later. For now it seemed Zabuza had been assigned work because he barged into the port master’s office and the man seemed to be expecting him. Sakura was tucked in the corner and a bag dropped in her lap while Zabuza started to gruffly ask questions.

Sakura stared at the bag in her lap for a long moment, then darted a look at Zabuza before looking back down. She peeled it open slowly and silently and stared for a long moment. Inside the bag sat a bottle of water and what looked like a container of homemade steamed buns. One of the shops they stopped at must have been for food.

Sakura darted one more look at Zabuza but he was ignoring her, looking over sheets of paper. The dock master sneaked a glance at her but Sakura didn’t care one whit for him. She dug into the food ravenously, trying to stay quiet enough to avoid Zabuza’s attention. That was her life now, trying desperately to avoid any and all attention as she tried to simply _survive_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is going to be a bit like waves, rising up and crashing with the dark and gruesome and then retreating again in soft quiet moments.


	7. Testing the Water

Sakura was licking the last of the food from her fingers when Zabuza finally stood.

“I’ve got enough,” he told the dock master, “I’m going to watch the men.”

Sakura followed him quickly feeling so much better after a bath, some rest, and some food. She stayed on Zabuza’s heels and followed him into the darkening day. The storm clouds were imminent now and Sakura could smell the rain on the air. The people working the docks were running to and fro to batten down hatches and get the last shipments in before the storm hit. Zabuza planted himself in the middle of all the activity and started to watch. Sakura discreetly tucked herself to the side where he best blocked the cool wind coming off the ocean. She was chilly in her sleeveless shirt but Zabuza was wearing no shirt at all and she wondered if he even felt the cold. 

Sakura watched Zabuza’s eyes dart across the faces that passed them by and remembered that Zabuza was investigating something. Sakura peered at the men but didn’t know what she was looking for in all the faces. 

Zabuza obviously found what he wanted because only a few minutes later he knocked a man to the ground as he hurried past. The man looked stunned from the blow that had thrown him down and peered up at Zabuza in terror as everyone else stopped. Most of the faces around them looked apprehensive, eyes darting to Zabuza before they backed off. 

“Thief,” Zabuza growled.

“You must have me mistaken sir!” the man choked, “I’m just one of the dock hands.”

“Don’t play dumb,” Zabuza grunted, “I know what you’ve been stealing. So does Gato and he’s not happy.”

“No sir! I would never,” the man babbled his gaze twitchy.

Just watching him Sakura could see he was probably guilty. He looked like he was considering an escape more than he was confused at the accusations. There had been fear in his gaze but no surprise and Sakura thought for that alone he’d probably been up to no good. She wondered idly if you stole from a crime lord was it good or bad, morally?

Zabuza took a menacing step forward and the man broke. He desperately scrambled to his feet and pulled a blade, a light sheen of sweat on his brow as his eyes darted for an escape. Maybe he really was innocent and panicking. Sakura doubted it. Zabuza had obviously been sent to deal with a single thief as a message. 

“Tell you what,” Zabuza said smirking at the knife, “You beat the brat here and I’ll let you go.”

A hush fell over the watchers and Sakura felt herself grow very still. The man’s eyes darted to Sakura and she stared at him, trying very hard not to show anything. Zabuza stepped behind her and reached for her neck. Sakura carefully didn’t react even as there was a clink as he unclipped the chain lead from her collar. She had the rest pooled in her hands and he tugged it free. She watched him wind the chain around his hand and then he gave her a rough shove forwards. Sakura nearly tripped over her feet as she surged forward. The man looked between and Zabuza. 

“Beat her and you’ll let me go?” he asked, a tad hysterical.

“Kill her and you’re free to go,” Zabuza shrugged, “Easy right?”

His tone said it wouldn’t be that easy. Sakura hadn’t taken her eyes of the man’s blade, very aware of the stakes. Death for one of them at the very least. The man looked at her and she saw his hesitation; a little girl in fisherman’s clothes with tangled candy floss hair? But then the second look saw her scrapes and bruises and tired blank eyes, saw how her hair was still knotted with blood despite a good wash. He raised the blade. Sakura went through four ways to break it out of his grip in her mind. Sakura had faced worse odds she thought, thinking of five men holding her down, of five dogs lunging for her throat. So she waited.

Sakura was getting better and better at waiting.

When the man came for her he came decently quickly. If he was a thief he would have to be quick she supposed. The way he held the knife also told her he knew how to use it as well. Sakura ducked the first blow, rolled around the next slash and leapt over the back handed swing he sent at her. He was quick for a civilian, but Sakura was conditioned for this. Sakura was a shinobi, had been raised for it, conditioned to fighting, and she moved like it. Sakura had been top of her class, and shinobi classes weren’t based only on book smarts. She’d always had neat crisp katas and while her stamina had been low, her strength was on the higher end. 

It had just taken her too long to remember all this; too long to remember she was indeed trained to take men down. That failure had cost her too much already, she wouldn’t let it happen again. 

Her strength had been reiterated last night when she broke bones. Animal bones but bones all the same. After last night this was easier too. Sakura had already realized she didn’t want to die here and she’d fight for that survival. One desperate man instead of five vicious mad dogs? She’d take the man any day. 

Flowing into the opening of the Falling Leaf style was easy and her feet knew exactly where to go due to muscle memory. Her hands followed, rising to deflect the blow aimed at her face. Her palm followed behind that, striking the man’s shoulder hard enough to throw him back. He dropped his knife and the clang of it echoed. He looked at the blade, looked at her with sweat heavy on his face, and came back at her desperately, fists flying. Sakura dipped and dodged and even used his shoulders to springboard over a wide punch. When her fist came down on his temple it drove him to the ground. She rode him down and by the time they hit the ground he was already unconscious.

Sakura was breathing deeply, ears ringing with adrenaline. It had been…easy. And it made her hate herself; not because she’d won, but because she hadn’t won sooner. All of this, the whole Gato and Wave and this collar, were her own fault. 

Sakura stared at the downed man and felt the hatred fall away with her next breath. She wasn’t tired exactly (though that was part of it), but she was shaking. She felt curiously…empty. A battle that she had won so handily after so many days of trying so hard to be still and small, after so much desperation… she didn’t know how to feel so she simply looked up at Zabuza and shook.

Zabuza gazed back, face giving nothing away. He didn’t look pleased but he didn’t look upset either. Sakura wondered if he’d wanted her to die. Or maybe he’d wanted her to kill the man. When he brought out his sword, Sakura looked away. She had yet to kill a real person in her career and the fact it could be her laying where the body now lay only made her focus harder on not looking. She felt simply blank when she caught sight of the blood. 

She’d felt worse for the dogs last night. 

.--.

Sakura was quiet the entire way back to Gato’s. The storm was rolling in and Zabuza didn’t even let Sakura try to water-walk, just scooped her up and took off across the water at a ninja’s pace. The rain was starting to fall as they ducked into the manor. Sakura was set down only once the door to the bedroom closed. She wasn’t left in peace though and Zabuza gripped at her hair harshly, twisting it to look at the large snarl the ends had become. 

“She didn’t do much for your hair did she?” Zabuza scowled at the visible tangle. 

“She tried,” Sakura swallowed.

“She tried eh?”

Zabuza reached for the blade on his back and Sakura held her breath. He’d wiped it clean after killing the thief but Sakura knew exactly how the blood had splattered across it. Would hers follow?

“Turn around.”

Sakura did so, turning away from him. She felt him gather her hair up and then there was the press of the flat of the blade against her back and…. Sakura blinked faintly at the small threads of hair that drifted down to the floor. Zabuza turned her back around and Sakura’s eyes darted over the fist full of hair he held idly. He looked her over and grunted.

“Better.”

Sakura reached up tentatively and brushed at her hair. It was… it was at her ears now, a little longer but shorter than she’d ever worn it. Over a foot and a half chopped off. Sakura wished he’d cut it shorter; short enough no one could pull on it but she didn’t say that out loud. Instead she retreated to the bed, resisting the urge to crawl under it. Zabuza threw himself down in the chair as the rain started crashing against the window. He pulled a scroll out, looking at it intently and Sakura tried to stay really still and quiet. 

She didn’t exactly know when she fell asleep. 

.--.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter. While the last one showed Zabuza wants her alive, I wanted to show that he isn't nice by any stretch of the imagination. though i don't verbalize the whole bit of the arc where Haku calls himself a Tool and Zabuza agrees, I think that Zabuza (despite that squishy bit in cannon where he admits he loved Haku) does look at people for how 'useful' they are. I don't think someone in his situation could NOT do so. He was raised in Kiri and looked at for his skills and strength and usefulness. So he does look at people like Sakura and try to see what they are worth. To do that he does it in good old fashioned ninja way; how well can they kick-ass. 
> 
> He's also curious to how Sakura is doing after the dog-fight, which he was angry about, but which he did note she won.


	8. Tossing Waters

Zabuza had been watching her all day and she didn’t like it. She’d started to hope that first night when he’d blatantly marked her for everyone to see had been the extent of what he had wanted of her. Days upon days of no demands had fueled that hope. Stupid to think so, she told herself, but she’d just hoped so dearly.

After yesterday, after he’d spent the energy and cash to get her cleaned and healed, what else could he want but something from her?

She kept her eyes forward, watching the men around them scrambled about loading the ships. The spot the thief had died was clean of blood but everyone avoided the spot anyways, especially since Zabuza loomed over it. As far as she could tell Zabuza was here like a silent threat to keep an eye out for anyone who decided to make trouble. They’d had to do very little but stand there since just his presence was a threat enough. It was like Gato’s office again, but better company. 

And Sakura could feel Zabuza’s attention on her. Watching. 

At some point everyone broke for lunch and men sat near the warehouse, smoking and eating, only casting the odd wary glance at Zabuza. Zabuza glanced at them in return and sneered which sent most gazes skittering away. Sakura glanced at the dock workers and when her attention slipped off Zabuza for a brief moment he threw a backhand at her head. 

It was a slow sloppy hit and Sakura dodged on instinct, ducking the hand. Her breathing immediately came out harsh, a surge of adrenaline shooting down her spine as she looked up at Zabuza and his sneer. He reached for her hair and she stiffened herself, reigned in the instinct and let him grab. Even when he wrenched at her hair she went with the tug and didn’t fight it. 

“Hmm,” he narrowed his eyes, “So you are quick on your feet. But you aren’t dodging me.”

Sakura bit her lip. 

“I’m not going to hurt you if you fight me,” he snorted, “I expected more fight to be honest.”

Sakura didn’t say anything about all the moments she’d contemplated fighting and decided not to after weighing possible consequences. Zabuza looked like the kind of person who’d always fought no matter how much it had cost him. Sakura wasn’t like that; she wasn’t that strong. Sakura knew her limit, knew what she could do and played within those limits. If she let her emotions slip, let her instincts slip long enough to try and fight Zabuza, she’d never be able to bottle herself up again, never be able to make herself small and uninteresting. Sakura knew her limit was well below fighting Zabuza. 

Right now, here on this cursed island wearing a leather collar with someone gripping her leash, Sakura knew her limit was simply surviving. 

Zabuza let her hair go but still watched her, like a hungry predator playing with its prey. There was nothing friendly in his gaze, only curious the way someone who was winning was curious about their opponent. He watched her for a long moment and then turned to the dock workers who stilled under his gaze the same way Sakura had. 

“Which one of you is the best fighter?” Zabuza asked with a nasty smirk.

The men stared at him, stared at one another, and finally a man was nudged forward. The man was well built, all muscle from a life of manual labour. He moved like someone who had participated in fights as well; maybe a boxer, maybe a man who enjoyed a few fights after some drinks. He was a friendly looking man though, with laugh lines around his face.

“Not sure I am, sir, but I know how to use my fists,” the man said awkwardly, “Not up to your level though sir.”

He was good at hiding his fear, but Sakura caught the twitch of his fingers. 

“I’m not the one you’re going to fight,” Zabuza said, and his tone could almost be construed as pleasant.

The man’s eyes darted to Sakura and she met his gaze letting her unease show. He mirrored that unease back and she knew he’d seen her take-down of the thief yesterday.

“Fight her,” Zabuza demanded grabbing Sakura by the shoulder and throwing her forward, “And don’t go easy on her or you really will fight me.”

The man took a nervous step forward and Sakura took one deep breath. There was a moment of stillness but both of them knew that hadn’t been a request but a demand. 

The man really was good for a civilian, better than the thief at least, and he knew every inch of his body well which made him a controlled fighter. Sakura used her size to her advantage and ducked and rolled his blows. 

The thing he lacked was conviction. 

He didn’t want to be fighting Sakura as much as she didn’t want to fight him, but her blows still had strength because she didn’t allow herself to hesitate. He lived his life under Gato’s oppression and demands, but not the way she did. He didn’t fear for his life the way she did and so his fighting was more…gentle. He had less to lose. So his hits were quick and controlled, but they didn’t follow through as strongly as they could have. 

She made sure the hit that laid him out was as gentle as she could allow.

“So Konoha makes sure it’s genin are at least somewhat competent,” Zabuza said and it sounded less like a compliment and more disdainful.

Like he’d still expected better of her, that beating a civilian man like this was such a stupidly low bar. 

“Next,” Zabuza demanded, arms crossed.

The dockworkers, silent under this, ended up nudging another man forward. Sakura defeated him just as handily. Something inside her settled as she watched this man fall. Sure, it was a stupidly low bar for a genin to defeat untrained civilians, but…but it stilled something inside of her to know she really could fight back. Not against everyone she thought, looking at Zabuza, but she still had some power. 

Zabuza went to call on a third man when a whistle sounded and the men eagerly rushed to return to work. The first man was already stirring from her light blow and she tried to give him a look that said ‘sorry’, but he avoided eye contact as he returned to work on shaky legs. 

Zabuza kept watching her but something in Sakura was calmer. 

.--.

The pretty young man returned in the evening light a week after Sakura had been collared. 

Sakura and Zabuza had spent days on the docks, watching the dock workers as more and more ships came to port. Sakura watched as Gato’s thugs grew, as more of his ships replaced local ones. She was thankful she didn’t watch it from Gato’s office, but she saw the steady stream of people in and out of Gato’s manor. Things were happening, power was being consolidated and Sakura knew Gato would make a move against the bridge soon. She hoped he would. That would be her only chance to live. 

The pretty young man returned a week after she’d been collared and at a time when Sakura was feeling like she could breathe a tad easier. Zabuza was watching her still, was making her fight anyone stupid enough to show some skill that wasn’t directly under Gato’s command, but Sakura was feeling like life was getting more predictable. Plus she hadn’t seen Gato in _days_. 

The young man slipped in the window as the sun was starting to dip low and the island grew quieter. He was silent, so quiet she didn’t even notice him until he shifted in her peripheral which made her flinch. He was smiling when he took his mask off, smiling at Zabuza in a way that Sakura did not expect. His smile was loving and kind and oh so pretty as he looked at Zabuza like he was magnificent.

“I’ve returned Zabuza-sama.”

“I can see that,” Zabuza sneered.

Zabuza look at him and his obvious adoration and didn’t seem to return any of that feeling. Sakura stared at them as discreetly as she could from where she was curled against the wall beside the bed. The young man’s eyes took in Zabuza, as if scanning for injury or checking if anything had changed, and then he looked at Sakura. He did the same scan and his smile only flickered briefly at the obvious stitches in her arm and the still healing scabs all over her. 

“You got a haircut,” he said prettily, “It looks very nice.”

It was a lie of course. Sakura knew how atrociously uneven and ragged the cut was, but she could tell when someone was trying to be polite. She simply focused her gaze on his pretty forehead and said nothing. As she shifted his eyes fell on the leather collar tucked against her shirt collar. His frown deepened, turning into something closer to a snarl that was still achingly pretty. Some people had all the luck. Zabuza must have caught his staring and interrupted before the young man could say anything about Gato’s collar. 

“How was scouting?’ Zabuza asked.

Scouting. Right. The young man’s eyes glanced at Sakura’s collar and then he finally turned back to look at Zabuza. He gave a wave of his hand, some sort of signal and Zabuza grunted. He stood and reached for Sakura. 

“Don’t go anywhere,” Zabuza ordered her even as he hauled her to her feet.

She had no idea what he meant until he tugged her to the open window and boosted her up to the roof. Sakura scrambled over the gutter and onto the singles, feeling faintly…surprised. She glanced back over the ledge to find Zabuza giving her a pointed glare before he retreated back into the room. The young man smiled as he levered himself up onto the sill enough to reach out for her. She stared at the small bundle in his arms and took it when he made no other move.

“I’m Haku by the way,” he said ever so prettily, “Sorry I did not introduce myself before. What’s your name?”

Sakura stared at him, holding the offered package loosely.

“Her name is Brat!” Zabuza said from somewhere in the room below her, “Get in here Haku.”

Haku’s pretty smile flickered into a pretty frown at the name ‘brat’ but he did not disobey Zabuza, following him back into the room and shutting the window with a click behind him. Sakura, left alone on the darkening roof clutching an mysterious bundle, blinked. 

They obviously didn’t want her to hear whatever information Haku had been gathering so it must have to do with the bridge. Sakura ached to lean over and shimmy the window open to eavesdrop but knew she’d be caught in an instance. 

Sakura stared out at the ocean and the horizon and watched the sun fully sink away. She sat in the dark on the roof and took a deep breath of fresh air. It was muggy but cooling rapidly as the light faded away. Sakura looked at the bundle in her arms and found a cloak that she shouldered immediately against the chill. It was long a well-used and she had the feeling it was Haku’s. The fact he’d given it to her meant she might be up here a while. 

Wrapped in the cloak though…wrapped inside was a couple of granola bars, a bottle of tea, and two apples. Sakura stared at the gifts and then fell on them ravenously. Her first bite of crisp apple made tears well in her eyes but she choked them down. She ate the whole thing, core an all and then tucked herself into a ball and stared at the stars as she ate the rest of her haul. She had been lucky recently; Zabuza had been making sure she had a good lunch every day she’d been forced to fight the civilians. But she still looked at Food as something to be consumed immediately and fully now. She dreamed of being back home and simply reaching into the fridge or cupboard at the faintest notion of hunger. 

She wrapped herself up comfy as she finished the food and stared up at the sky as she strained her ears to hear the noise below her. She couldn’t hear anything through the roof and turned her mind to the pretty young man. She had no idea what type of person this Haku was beyond missing-nin and Zabuza’s partner, but even if this kindness was a trap, Sakura would happily fall for it for now. Small victories and strengths where she could take them.

.--.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sakura wins some fights against some untrained dock-hands who really don't want to fight any ninja, especially not beat-up little girls. 
> 
> And Haku returns


	9. Hiding in the Depths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for some nasty language

A week went by in a daze. Haku lingered for only two days, checking Zabuza’s stitches and then cutting them out before watching the dock with them. Under the pretty young man’s gaze, Zabuza didn’t make her fight anyone. Haku was curious about the stitches on her arms, the antibiotics she had to take on the doctor’s orders, and the collar around her neck, but when she stayed silent under his questions he gave it up with good grace, simply smiling at her when she caught his attention. 

She liked having him nearby simply because Zabuza didn’t watch her as much and Haku slipped her far more food than Zabuza did. She got the feeling Zabuza hadn’t been purposefully holding back on feeding her fully, and simply forgot to do so. She also got the feeling Zabuza hadn’t been eating all the frequently himself as she watched Haku pester the man to eat a full meal at dinner. 

“Here,” Haku said one afternoon, flipping a shining senbon between his fingers.

Sakura took the needle slowly, carefully, like it was a trick. When he didn’t smack her when she took it, and instead smiled at her, she still didn’t relax. 

“Have you ever used senbon?” he asked, “Zabuza said you just left the academy.”

Sakura simply looked down at the thin weapon and wondered when Zabuza had told Haku that. She held it awkwardly, knowing theoretically how to use it but never having done so. The Academy taught them kunai and shuriken frequently, but senbon and other weapons were introduced theoretically with hints that they could learn them when they were genin if they were inspired to do so. 

“Here,” Haku said, a new needle slipping into his hand, “Like this.’

He showed her and she tried to copy him. He reached for her hand to adjust her hold and she couldn’t stop the flinch. He changed his reach into a nonchalant hand gesture as if that was what he’d meant to do, waving his hand to show her where to aim. 

Next he showed her how to throw it. His accuracy and force with such a delicate weapon was scary. She’d seen it of course, when he’d thrown them straight through Zabuza’s neck to help him escape, but it felt more real when he hovered over her shoulder and taught her how to do it to. 

“Are you stupid?” Zabuza barked when he caught them, “Don’t give the brat a weapon.”

“Oh hush,” Haku smiled, “She’s a quick learner.’

Which was very kind of him to say so even if Sakura really wasn’t in this situation. She didn’t have the wrist strength and her aim was sub-par at best. Still, Haku gathered up the senbon under Zabuza’s glower. Sakura held a handful out to him and he smiled, taking them very carefully. Sakura would have stiffened when his hand brushed her obi, if she wasn’t already tense under Zabuza’s gaze.

Haku merely smiled at her and didn’t look at her again as he turned to Zabuza. Zabuza gave him a glare but said nothing else. Sakura wasn’t sure if he’d seen or not….

When she was sure neither was looking, she brushed her hand against the frayed obi at her waist. The thin senbon sat uneasily in the folds but wasn’t visible.

.--.

Gato was so busy he didn’t even have time to glance her way and for that Sakura was very grateful. Zabuza had been ordered into his office again, overseeing more meetings and signed papers and Sakura made sure to keep quiet at his feet, tucked between his legs and her eyes glued on that ugly green wall. Yoshiro wasn’t around for a few days and it was all the better as Sakura rolled her chakra through her feet and then her individual fingers trying to stop them from going numb and to stop herself from moving. 

The few times they were sent to the docks Zabuza once again pitted her against anyone who knew even the bare bones of how to use their fists. 

When the last civilian fell under her fists Zabuza took to lashing out at her himself. Sakura learned how to dodge his quick hits simply because the alternative was her ribs or her head hurting. Zabuza put up with her stillness, with her letting him hit her, only once before he put more force behind the hits and Sakura would much rather not suffer them. She didn’t fight back because she really couldn’t work up the courage to try and face him. She knew he would have absolutely no control in limiting his strength against her; he didn’t care to or didn’t know his own strength. Sakura knew a fight with him would not be a light spar and so she limited herself to dodging. Even then she still went to bed tired and bruised. 

Five days after Haku left another storm hit the coast, harsh and loud as it rolled in. The docks got locked down and even Gato’s thugs huddled in the manor, smoking in the hall and leering at her as she stuck to Zabuza’s heel. 

“You can control water, can’t you, Zabuza?” Gato asked one evening as the storm outside roared against the windows, lightening flashing. 

“What’s it to you?” Zabuza grunted, knees knocking into Sakura’s head as he shifted. 

“We had a ship due today,” Gato said simply, looking more concerned with the paper in front of him, “Go find it.”

Zabuza’s mouth twitched but he didn’t say anything as he stood. He pulled Sakura to her feet subtly, hand in her hair guiding her to his side so she was out of Gato’s sight. He said nothing as Zabuza tugged her out with him; like he didn’t remember she existed to torment. 

Once back in Zabuza’s rooms he shoved her in a corner and geared up.

“Fuck storms,” he growled to himself, “and fuck Gato. Fucking find a ship in this fucking thing?”

He snorted but still strapped his sword securely on his back. 

“You won’t leave this room,” Zabuza said, and it was an order.

Sakura watched him tighten his bandage mask, watched him narrow his eyes at her. 

“Yes,” she finally responded. 

He narrowed his eyes further, as if untrusting, but Sakura didn’t bother to say anything more. He must know there was no way she was leaving the safety of his rooms while he was gone. Gato hadn’t had the chance to order her to kneel at his feet this time and she knew would do everything in her power to avoid his notice. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to enter Zabuza’s rooms while he was gone, right?

Zabuza gave her a sharp look and then he was gone. She watched him leave the room, listened until she couldn’t hear him down the hall, and then watched him disappear into the rain from the window. A crack of lightening illuminated him briefly and then he was gone.

She considered escaping for a moment, considered the ocean ahead of her, but the storm was already tossing waves higher than a man’s head, the water rolling and crashing furiously. The rain was practically sideways with the force of the wind and Sakura knew she’d get disorientated in an instant and lose her way. And, to top it off, Sakura felt like a wreak still. With Haku’s disappearance, Sakura had stopped getting regular food again and Zabuza’s attacks had left her twitchy and tired.

Sakura went to the washroom to tidy up as quickly as she could, choking down as much water as she could stand, and then tucked herself under the bed against the wall. She didn’t sleep exactly, but she dozed, too tired not to even as she kept her senses on the door. 

Which is why when the door opened nearly silently, she jerked awake. She knew it couldn’t be Zabuza yet and allowed herself one quiet shaky whine before smothering her breathing.

“I still think this is a stupid idea,” a familiar voice rumbled.

The bald man; one of Gato’s favourite guards and the one who’d smiled as he threw her in the dog pit. 

“Shut up,” an even more familiar voice growled.

Sakura felt a shudder roll down her spine, felt a cold sweat break out across her forehead. 

Sakura dug into her mind desperately, let her fingers dig into her skin as well, and desperately tried to remember something useful from training. She was tired, physically, and a fight would do her no good; it would simply call more men to overwhelm her. But …Sakura had never been pegged as a physically fighter in the academy. She’d been pegged as a genjutsu user…

Sakura slowly stilled her fingers and then let them make the signs, twisting her chakra up in them. She felt the haze settle as her genjutsu took effect. It was a simple academy genjutsu that Iruka-sensei had liked to call his ‘don’t-notice me’ jutsu. It didn’t block sound or smell, but it made the user invisible as long as they stood very very still. He’d used it on them numerous times, hiding in the classroom to catch them goofing off and the like, to train them to use more than just their eyes. Sakura had mastered it quickly and Iruka-sensei had smiled brightly at her. 

Now Sakura used it desperately. She pressed against the wall, felt the frame of the bed dig into her hip, and let the jutsu settle. She held her breath and tried to calm her jack-rabbiting heart, holding her fingers in the last sign for better concentration.

“She’s got to be here somewhere. I didn’t see Momochi take her with them,” Yoshiro cursed.

“He’s a big man and she’s a tiny kid,” the bald man laughed, “Who’s to say you just missed her.”

“The bitch follows on his heel and I watched him walk away so she’s here somewhere,” Yoshiro sneered.

“Then she’s hiding,” the bald man said, a shrug in his voice, “She’s a tricky bitch.”

“Shut up and help me look.”

“You want her cunt that bad then,” the bald man laughed, seeming amused, “I don’t see the appeal. She’s pretty enough but she’s too young for me. No curves to speak of. She’d probably cry if you fucked her. I like my women with some appeal.”

“Fuck you.”

“Just saying,” the bald man smirked.

“I would have had her if not for that bastard Momochi,” Yoshiro snarled, “He acts so high and mighty. Took her right out of my hands. And Gato let him!”

“Well he’s going to be useful. Gato needs him to kill those Konoha-nin. I don’t see you doing such a task anytime soon.”

“Shut up. At least I’ll get the pleasure of sticking my sword in that bastard’s gut. As soon as he gets rid of the Konoha-nin I’m going to be first in line to fuck him up. Gato told me I could even have the girl if she was still alive after, as long as I really kill him.”

“I’d rather be last in line, less chance he’ll have the strength to fight back,” the bald one said pragmatically. 

“He might be some ‘feared demon’ back in Kiri, but everyone knows that place is a shithole. I doubt he’s half as good as anyone claims. Shinobi, cocky the lot of them.”

“Have you ever even fought a shinobi?”

“I’ve seen some fight.”

“Well I saw the bitch fight and she’s just a kid. She’s not something I’d want to tangle with. I don’t doubt Momochi is tougher than her.”

“Even if he is, there will be too many of us for him to handle,” Yoshiro sneered, “Even he can’t fight a group of us after fighting the other ninja.”

“Fair I guess. Still, I like to steer clear of the ninja folk. It’s why I’m not eager to find the bitch.”

“She’s a fucking kid and you’re scared of her?”

“You didn’t see her fight the dogs.”

“Naw but I heard she got ripped up even if she won.”

“You’d have gotten ripped up too if you had been tossed to those beasts. She didn’t do well at first but that last bit is what made me wary of her; she went from scrambling and screaming to straight up controlled killing. Put the last dog down without so much as a peep or a flinch.”

“Dogs,” Yoshiro said with contempt, “They’re stupid beasts. I wouldn’t use them as a way to measure anyone’s skills.”

“Whatever man. If you don’t want to listen to me you can suffer for it when she bites back.”

Knees dropped beside the bed and Sakura focused fully on making sure the genjutsu was still in place.

The bald one scanned under the bed and his eyes slid right over her.

“She’s not here man.”

“Fuck, lets go check the kitchen,” Yoshiro snarled. 

The sound of the door slamming made her flinch but she didn’t move beyond that. She stayed where she was as she heard their footsteps rumble down the hall. She only let the genjutsu drop when she could no longer hear them.

She stayed under the bed, waiting, hands pressed together in case she needed to reapply the genjutsu. She didn’t doze again.

.--.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More plot! We are getting closer to the end...or are we? 
> 
> Sakura and genjutsu - I think it was said somewhere that Sakura was pegged as a genjutsu user because of her chakra control in the manga and I can't see the academy not giving them some lessons on that branch of jutsu. They can't just come out of the academy with the three main ones (or maybe they do, clan kids getting an extra jump ahead from family ones). I think Iruka would at least make sure they were exposed to various ninjutsu and genjutsu to even out their taijutsu lessons. Maybe they learn some basic genjutsu but they're more like an extra credit assignment because 90% of students don't have the control to use them yet, but for those that do they can pick up on them. I'm going to assume Sakura could master a simple on like this that is fine for hiding but wouldn't be strong enough to mask sound and smell and movement.


	10. Diverging Currents

Sakura stared at the far wall, sure she’d memorized every swirl in the grain of wood, every shadow in the paint, every flicker of light against it. The wall in Gato’s office was well done and a very pretty shade of emerald green but Sakura was sure if she never saw it again she’d throw a party. The sound of Gato’s voice rubbed her raw. Zabuza must have felt her slowly losing her mind because the grip in her hair was a little more harsh than normal, pulling her back to focus. 

When he let go of her hair and stood she rose silently, mirroring him. Gato was looking at them and she focused on his knees. Zabuza didn’t like her not making eye-contact, but Gato was a man who liked to see people bowed before him. Zabuza took a step towards the door, obviously intent on leaving and Sakura followed quickly. Gato’s voice paused them both. 

“How’s your bitch been? You’ve certainty taught her to sit and heel,” Gato said looking at Sakura obviously amused, “Have you taught her to beg as well?”

Zabuza grunted wordlessly.

“I think I can see your type,” Gato said, “You like them submissive. It’s why you have that boy follow on your heel and why you like to keep this bitch at your feet.”

Sakura wondered if Gato was stupid. Zabuza wasn’t keeping Haku at his heel, the young man simply followed so easily. Sakura didn’t know his story but she could see in the way that Haku looked at Zabuza as if he’d hung the moon that Haku wasn’t kept there by anything other than loyalty and love. 

Sakura stayed silent and still though as Yoshiro watched her over Gato’s shoulder. The man was smiling as he stared at her like he was hungry. Sakura tried not to look at him as he watched and watched and watched. She thought of how desperate he’d been to get his hands on her the other day, going as far as to invade Zabuza’s room while he was out. Sakura let a single tremble travel down her spine as she imagined if she’d been caught by him. She clenched at her hem again, fingers digging into the rough material. 

“Go fetch the clerk’s daughter,” Gato ordered Zabuza abruptly, “And bring her back here.”

Zabuza made for the door but when Sakura went to Gato smiled at her again.

“We can watch your bitch for the two minutes while you’re out,” Gato told him.

Zabuza narrowed his eyes but nudged Sakura back against the couch. He strode from the office with a bit more speed than usual and Sakura prayed to every spirit and kami out there he would be quick. 

“Well, he never answered my question,” Gato said, “Did he teach you how to beg?”

Sakura swallowed.

“Yes,” she lied, voice quavering. 

“I thought so,” Gato laughed, “He probably makes you beg for his cock doesn’t he.”

His laugh was nasally and amused and Sakura hated it. She bit her lip and looked down hoping that would do as an answer for him. Yoshiro pushed off the wall he was leaning against and strode towards her, a grin spreading across his lips. Gato didn’t tell him to stop.

“You don’t seem like you like his cock though,” Yoshiro smirked, “I think you’d like mine better. A pretty little thing like you deserves better than that brute. I’d teach you to love it.”

Sakura stared at his shoulder and tried to stretch her hearing to see if Zabuza was coming back. Yoshiro reached for her, hand sliding into her hair, disturbingly gentle. He leaned in close, eyes gleeful as he raked them across her face, lingering on her collar and molted bruises.

“You’d be ruined for any other when I was done with you,” he breathed against her face.

Sakura knew he meant that in more than one way. She’d be ruined, broken, dead. No other would have ever had the chance. His grip tightened abruptly, twisting until she whimpered and tears sprung at the corner of her eyes.

“Give me a kiss,” he cooed, so close she could see the way his eyes sparked with want.

“If you don’t let go of my things, you’re going to lose that hand,” Zabuza growled lowly.

Yoshiro let go of her instantly and shot a nasty scowl at the doorway. Zabuza stood there glaring, a woman being dragged in his grip. Sakura barely dared breath as Yoshiro retreated back to Gato’s side. Zabuza grunted and tossed the woman he’d dragged in into the center of the floor. Sakura focused on her breathing as Zabuza joined her. His hand slid into her hair and the rough callouses caught at her hair. Despite how he ungently manhandled her back onto the floor Sakura didn’t experience the same instant panic that Yoshiro’s hands had created. 

Sakura barely paid attention to the conversation after that. The clerk’s daughter was being sent home because her father had finally paid his fines. She sobbed but it was not a relieved sound. Sakura saw the way the men leered at her, the satisfied look in Gato’s eyes and the bruises up her own arms and neck. Sakura knew the woman had not escaped the fate Sakura had. Zabuza led Sakura out of the room as the woman was taken away and she kept close to him until she couldn’t feel Yoshiro’s eyes on her. 

.--.

Sakura watched as Zabuza stripped off his bandages. A newly returned Haku was checking his neck carefully, fingers brushing across the wounds, double checking how they were healing a week after the stitches had come out. There were only faint marks to show he’d ever had a wound. Sakura was tucked in the corner, curled up with her arms around her knee. Zabuza outright ignored her but Haku flashed her a calm pretty smile occasionally. There was no words exchanged on where he’d been again. 

Sakura was thinking. Thinking of Yoshiro. 

Yoshiro was a handsome enough man with a nice face and wide grey eyes. His hair was oddly lilac colored, and he walked with an even confident gait. Sakura, had she met him anywhere but here, might have smiled at him. But when she thought of him all she could think of was how he wanted to fuck her, wanted to rape her and make it hurt, how he wanted to _ruin_ her. He looked nice but he was not a nice man and Sakura was sure he’d been in her nightmares for a while tom come.

Sakura was under no illusions about what would have happened if he’d led her out of Gato’s office those past few weeks ago. She knew exactly how badly he would have hurt her and enjoyed it. She knew she would have never left this island; she’d have been raped, tormented, and then had her face bashed in or her throat slit. Her bones would have been buried in this miserable place.

Zabuza…Zabuza had saved her from that fate. Maybe he’d still kill her she supposed, but at this point she was highly doubting that he intended to rape her. He barely even tormented her anymore. 

Zabuza scared her, terrified her really, and Sakura wished she’d never met him. But she had, and there was no use wishing for things that wouldn’t change. So instead she thought of the way that he’d gotten her wounds treated and the way he’d made sure she wasn’t left alone with Yoshiro. She thought of the way he’d kept her close and out of Gato’s way as often as he could. Maybe that hadn’t been his intent, but then again maybe it had. She was pretty confused about what his angle was. But one thing was sure; he’d saved her from Yoshiro at the very least.

Maybe that deserved a favour returned.

“Yoshiro was in here the other day,” Sakura spoke aloud, voice cracking, “When you were gone in that storm.”

Zabuza and Haku both froze. Haku’s face took on a distinct scowl, something ugly in his pretty eyes. Zabuza just looked at her, face as unreadable as always, his signature scowl in place.

“He wanted to fuck me,” Sakura said, “And was mad when he couldn’t find me.”

“You managed to hide?” Zabuza grunted.

“Yes,” Sakura said shortly.

He gave a sharp nod and didn’t ask her how.

“He was talking, with the bald one that guards Gato.”

“Yuu,” Haku said, as if the name was unpleasant.

“He and Yuu,” Sakura nodded, “Were talking about how they were going to kill you.”

The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees and the frown was gone from Haku’s face. It was replaced with a look of quiet rage, eyes dark. Even that was a pretty look on him. Zabuza stared at Sakura, eyes narrowing as he truly looked at her. She met his gaze, chin on her knees and no energy left to even tremble anymore under his gaze. 

“Kill me,” Zabuza asked lowly, “Sounds unlikely. Gato wouldn’t be happy if they tried.”

“Gato would be very happy,” she said in return.

Zabuza’s eye twitched.

“Are you telling me it’s Gato who wants me dead?” he asked, voice a low snarl.

“As soon as you kill my team, he plans to have his thugs kill you,” Sakura said, “Yoshiro asked to be first in line.”

The pair of them stared at her, both with narrowed eyes and Sakura wondered if they believed her. Zabuza finally stood and stepped up to her. He reached down and lifted her by the front of her collar. Sakura grasped at his wrist weakly, half in protest and half just to alleviate the grip. Haku didn’t stop him, watching with eyes made of ice.

“If you are lying to me, I’ll bury you personally,” Zabuza breathed, lips pulled back in a snarl.

“That’s just what I heard,” she rasped. 

He narrowed his eyes at her, holding her gaze as if searching for something. Haku stepped up beside him and gently touched his arm. He dropped Sakura under Haku’s gaze.

“Let me check,” Haku murmured, eyes sparking, “I’ll find out the truth.”

Sakura wanted to say that was the truth, but she knew they had no reason to believe her. If she could convince them of Gato’s future betrayal it would be in her favor and that alone would be enough to make them at least double check. Sakura curled back up in her corner as Haku vanished soundlessly. Zabuza fell back into the chair and watched her with angry eyes. 

“You had better not be lying brat,” he growled in the silence.

Sakura just closed her eyes and laid her head on her knees. 

.--.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are coming to a head... or are they. I have already started working on two super different endings to this story. It will all diverge from here; keep reading for the original ending and I'll post an Alternate ending as another story soon.


	11. The Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Violence
> 
> Also, I talked about having this story diverge into two endings, when I start posting the second string this chapter will be where they diverge.

Sakura didn’t see Haku but she found an apple laying on the chair for her every time she and Zabuza returned to the room. She knew it was for her because Zabuza sneered at it and then ignored it until she squirrelled it away. It was the only sign Haku was nearby as the days rolled on. Docks, Gato’s office, watching incoming ships, more docks, more Gato’s office. It should have let Sakura slip into a daze, a lull, as everything stayed the same. But Sakura was still the tense ball of fear and trembling and she didn’t let it distract her from the way Zabuza watched her with angry eyes and lashed out with quick feet and fists. She was getting really good at dodging. He hadn’t hit her once these past two days and Sakura wasn’t feeling as bruised. Oh she wasn’t fooling herself into thinking he was using his full speed here, but she was still breathless with the fact she could duck his foot with barely any warning now. 

The morning after she avoided being hit all day, when Zabuza tucked himself into the bathroom to shower, Haku brought Sakura a full sandwich and three granola bars and Sakura fell on it hungrily, tucking one of the bars away for later with extreme reluctance. She didn’t even twitch under Haku’s kind gaze as he watched her. She only twitched when Zabuza came out of the bathroom holding something she’d hoped had been forgotten. 

The chain dangled from his hand and Haku scowled oh so prettily at it as Sakura avoided looking at it. The sight of it told Sakura it was a Gato day. She didn’t put up a fight as Zabuza clipped it on and then let her loop it around her neck out of the way. Haku’s eyes glared at it the entire journey to Gato’s office and she wondered if it was the chain itself that had Haku sitting in on the day when he usually made himself scarce. She had no idea where he went but with the way he glared subtly at Gato under his lashes, she had the feeling he mostly disappeared so he didn’t have to look at the businessman. 

Today though he stood beside the couch, tucked beside Zabuza like a silent guard, Haku kept his face very still. Sakura could still feel his glare at Gato. Sakura sat between Zabuza’s legs like usual and the granola bar pressed against her side under her yukata helped keep Sakura focused.

The first hour passed without incident as Gato focused on a scroll with a sharp intensity. A man came to discus another paper to be signed and Sakura learned he was a landowner in Wave, a very prosperous one, that was discussing what fees and taxes he would pay Gato to keep his land. When the name Tazuna came up, Sakura realized what land exactly this man owned. 

“I allowed the bridge at first of course,” the landowner simpered, “because I feared what the peasants would do if I refused. But I full support whatever you want to do with it Gato-sama.” 

Gato smirked and signed the papers, shaking the man’s hand, and Sakura realized there were some people in Wave quite happy to see Gato moving in. The rich and greedy would come out of this fine because they were willing to bend to see some of the profit Gato would be hoarding. Sakura watched the landowner leave and mulled over the fact there were ordinary men out their willing to watch their citizens starve and die under lawlessness. 

“It’s time to deal with the bridge,” Gato announced, giving Zabuza a nasty smirk, “Time to show you’re worth your contract.”

“Finally,” Zabuza growled cracking his neck threateningly as he stood, “I was starting to think you were going to let them actually finish it.”

“I find it better to let the hope simmer before you destroy it,” Gato chuckled, “It makes the despair all the stronger.”

Zabuza grunted.

“Kill the bridge-builder and his family,” Gato order simply, “I want their death to be a message so make sure to leave their corpses strung up. As for the Konoha-nin, well, I don’t need Konoha looking this way. Make sure they disappear.”

“Sure,” Zabuza said flippantly.

He tugged Sakura to her feet and this action finally drew Gato’s attention to her. 

“Leave her,” Gato ordered, “There’s no point in dragging your bitch around.”

“She’ll be useful,” Zabuza sneered, “Konoha-nin are bleeding hearts. She’ll make a good shield.”

Gato scowled but didn’t argue, his beady eyes following Zabuza closely. Sakura kept her head down and didn’t even flinch when Zabuza yanked on her chain. He rarely touched the thing where it sat looped around her neck, but it seemed he wanted to drive home a point to Gato. 

“No,” Gato said suddenly.

“No?” Zabuza said, voice dropping low as he turned slowly to face Gato.

“No,” Gato sneered, “I don’t want them to know she’s still alive. In fact. She really shouldn’t still be alive at all; I don’t care how much you like her cunt.”

Haku was straightening slowly, like ice cracking, face still frozen but body coming to life. Zabuza turned to face Gato fully and every inch of him screamed predator. Sakura held her breath

“Kill her,” Gato ordered with a smile. 

Sakura’s fingers twitched, the only movement in the room. There was a moment of silence and Sakura didn’t dare breathe. Zabuza was a silent giant at her back and Sakura knew if he moved to kill her she wouldn’t even have the chance to fight back. The silence went on and on and on. 

“No,” Zabuza finally said and something in Sakura settled.

“Kill her or you’re fired,” Gato said simply, leaning back in his chair as if he was enjoying this. 

Haku moved now, the embodiment of grace and beauty as he smiled at Sakura dipping low to press something into her hands. Haku gave her a kiss on the cheek as if they were friends and offered her one last smile. 

And then he was gone and out the window. Gato twitched in surprise and Sakura looked down at her hands. The pouch was small but its weight familiar; it held blades. Zabuza wound the chain he held tighter around his hand, straining it against her neck and she looked up but he wasn’t looking at her. She edged closer to him, obeying the pull.

“Well, Gato and I have to have a talk,” Zabuza said, “But I think I’ve trained you up enough. Ready to be a hunting bitch?”

Sakura stared at him.

“Kill her,” Gato demanded over them, sensing something wrong now.

“Yes,” Sakura said faintly, ignoring the businessman; she only had eyes for Zabuza.

Zabuza gave her a wide grin, eyes burning, and with his mask looped lazily about his neck it showed off his shark teeth. It was an expression she’d never seen on his face. She did not tremble in the face of it but couldn’t look away.

“Go. You know who,” he ordered, unclipping the chain from her collar.

Sakura slipped out the office door on quick numb feet even as Gato started yelling. The yelling turned to screaming as Sakura shut the door behind her. 

For one moment Sakura stood alone in the hallway, her breathing heavy. She tied the pouch to her belt, fingers dancing through its contents carefully but automatically. Six shuriken, a few thin senbon, and two kunai. 

Sakura looked at the wall and focused on her breathing, evening out the pant it was becoming. Behind her screaming started. Past that, outside from the docks, there was more screaming. Somewhere in the house the thundering of feet. Sakura clenched and unclenched her fingers. It took an endless moment to collect herself, to pull all this information in and center herself. Sakura felt like she’d been tossed into a storm only to land in the eye of it, calm and still just before the crashing waves.

She centered herself on Zabuza’s words, his command; she would know he had said. 

Sakura knew exactly who she was hunting down, and terror and adrenaline and rage beat a war beat in her heart. 

There was a set of thugs coming up the stairs, swords out, and Sakura moved. The first two shuriken in her pouch slotted in her fingers and she barely gave it a thought before she let them fly. Both men fell, choking on metal and blood and the sound of their bodies crunching down the stairs didn’t even give her pause and she went leaping over them.

Sakura had been at the top of her class in the academy, competing against clan kids. The academy had weighed book smarts and actual skills rather equally and while Sakura was a very bright girl she had had to work for her skills. She was slower than most of her classmates and lacked stamina. She’d made up for these with perfect accuracy; her ability to calculate trajectory only outdone by Shikamaru but her natural strength helping drive the blades further than his. Her katas were crisp and neat, perhaps not the smoothest or most graceful, but she had a grasp on them. Her strength helped her where her speed was lacking.

Sakura ran into another man quickly and he barely got out a shout before she was ducking under his reach and hamstringing him with a kunai. As he dropped to his knees she spun up in a kick that broke his neck and tossed him to the ground like a rag-doll. 

Sakura had been a good student. She’d gotten top marks, worked hard to make up for areas she didn’t do as well in. And an academy graduated genin could beat a civilian thug any day of the week if they approached it properly. She’d been shown this with all the people Zabuza tossed her at to fight.

A door flew open and Sakura leapt up and grabbed the frame. Her feet both planted in the surprised man’s chest. He went down hard and she followed, kunai arching out. His throat split easily and then she was off back down the hall. 

Sakura had lost to Gato’s men those few long weeks ago, had been brought down by five civilian thugs because of a number of things. The main one had been panic. She’d been caught off guard by the ambush and then further panicked by getting separated from her team. Fighting was easy enough, it was fighting people that was hard. Sakura was used to spars with academy students, but those were all non-lethal, and sometimes not even violent. They were all too smooth. It was very different fighting grown men who fought dirty. It was also very different to plant a fist in a man’s side and feel his ribs crack in a way none of her classmates would have suffered. It was different to fight against sneering snarling faces and threats of what was to be done with her as they ripped at hair.

A man was coming down the hall, face contorted with rage, sword raised. Sakura dodged the blow and went for the man’s throat. He dodged the blow, surprisingly quick, but Sakura was better. She used the wall to push off of and came back at him twice as fast. The crack echoed as she slammed his head into the wall. She followed him down with her kunai and ended his enraged shout. 

Sakura had been top of her class in the academy, was leagues above a single civilian thug. But panic had caught her off guard. She’d been unbloodied and her first real fight made her falter. She could have won a physical fight but had not been able to get beyond the psychological hurdles of such a fight. Sakura would summarize her capture as stupid; Sakura had been stupid. If she’d been a bit more composed, a bit less hesitant in dealing real damage, none of this would have happened. It was a lesson on being sure. Sure of yourself, of your skills, and sure of your attack. Don’t falter, don’t hesitate. 

Three shuriken went spinning through the air and two men dropped, one dead before he hit the ground, the other screaming bloody murder. She ended his screams quick enough as she retrieved her stars. 

Sakura had suffered these past three weeks due to fucking stupidity. That it was her own made it so much worse. She’d been collared, called a bitch, made to fucking beg. Her rape and death had been held above her head like an executioner’s axe. Sakura was fucking sick of it. Sick of this whole goddamn place. 

Her kunai stabbed into a man’s throat so violently it nearly went all the way through. Blood splashed hot across her face and Sakura snarled like the dog they’d treated her as. 

Sakura had felt terror straight down to her bone. Had been doused in blood and horror. She’d trembled so much she could scarce remember having still hands. She was running on entirely too little panicked sleep, had felt hunger since the moment she’d passed these doors. She rarely didn’t have blood flaking off her skin. Her dress had been destroyed, her hair cut off, and her goddamn free will stripped away. 

A man came at her, his face terrified and his hands shaking. He looked like he’d rather be anywhere else but Sakura was blocking the exit. She bared her teeth at him met him head-on. Her kunai cut through his skin like a hot knife through butter. 

Sakura was done being fucking terrified. It had been pulled out of her like you pulled out teeth; slowly, painfully, and with a good dose of fear and screaming. And now she was practically frothing with the injustice of it all, with the rage. Every single one of these men had laughed at her, taunted her, snickered over the idea of her getting fucking raped into compliance. They all knew she’d never be allowed to leave this rock, that she’d be used until she was used up and then her body dumped in a ditch. They’d done this to her and to other people and slept soundly at night.

Sakura caught a man as he tried to run. He was shoving through the front door, unwittingly into Haku’s hands, but Sakura caught him first. Her fingers grabbed him by his hair, just the way she knew hurt, and she twisted as she knocked his legs out. He hit the ground and she caught sight of scared blue eyes and then her kunai was buried in his head. She dropped the corpse.

Sakura wasn’t calm or collected, but she wasn’t terrified anymore. And she was still shaking but that was just the rage. She clenched her teeth, bared them, like a snarling dog. She was like those dog’s down in the pit. She’d been kicked once too many, pushed into reaction one too many times, and now she wasn’t just turning where she was pointed; now she was turning on men who tried to make her do what they wanted. 

Sakura left the yard to Haku, let him continue stopping anyone trying to escape via boat. She hadn’t found her prey and she knew it was not the sort to run for the boats. Too overconfident, too utterly stupid.

She turned to the house and then climbed the wall. Walking on water had been easy, walking on solid surface was even easier. Sakura shimmied her way up the house to the window sitting open from Haku’s exit. Gato was no longer screaming but she found her way easy enough. She dropped in through the window to find Zabuza and her prey waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sakura and her infamous temper have lost it. She was a good kid, and a bit of a wimp at the beginning of Naruto but we all saw what she grew up into so I know she always had it in her. 
> 
> I also always thought how people talk about clan kids having the advantage and yet the three strongest kids in the series were Naruto, orphan, Sasuke, orphan, and Sakura who they didn't bother to give a background to for a long time (and i will always give a civilian background). All these kids would have had to train alone with no help from family and yet two graduated at top of their class and all three became the most powerful. 
> 
> So Sakura who graduated top of her class should have the skills to do what she did, she just never had the will (at first).


	12. Cutthroat Currents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: violence

Zabuza glanced at Sakura as she came in through the window, flickered his eyes across her, following the blood splatter like freckles across her face and the blood that drenched her front and feet. He smiled. Sakura wasn’t capable of a smile right now so she bared her teeth again. 

Sakura looked at the door and realized she’d made a good choice in coming back through the window. Zabuza’s huge sword was cut deep into the doorframe, wall, and door acting like a huge door barricade. Unless someone could kick the door in hard enough to dislodge the monster sword no one would be interrupting them. Not that there were many left alive to do that. 

Gato was at his desk still, but the kunai driven through his hands showed why he hadn’t moved. Beside him his two guards hovered, swords drawn.

“You drove the prey right too me,” Zabuza told Sakura, voice loose and easy, “And took out the rest of the trash.”

Sakura simply stared at the guards, at her prey. The bald one, Yuu, looked appropriately harried, eye twitching to the window as if he was considering risking it. Yoshiro was sneering at Zabuza, sword held ready and posture angry. 

“You’re going to pay for this!” Gato screamed in pain and anger, spittle falling from his lips. 

Zabuza’s lips twitched up in a smirk but he didn’t respond to the man. Haku alighted on the window frame, as silent as a snow fall and just as serene. He didn’t have a drop of blood on him but he looked like a satisfied cat. His eyes found Sakura first and he smiled at her, tracking the blood as if he were looking to see what his weapons had done in her hands. He looked proud. 

At Haku’s appearance Yuu shifted, blade lowering, a light layer of sweat on his brow as he looked at how outnumbered the two guards were. He was a smarter man for his fear. Yoshiro simply sneered harder, arrogance and stupidity stopping him from realizing the direness of his situation perhaps. 

The sound of chain links shifting was loud to Sakura’s ears. She flinched and darted a look up at Zabuza. But he simply held her leash out to her.

“You’re up,” Zabuza grinned.

Sakura took her chain. She took one more look at Zabuza, but he was already sitting back on the couch, legs spread and arms over the back like he was simply taking up watch as usual. At such a blatant dismissal Yoshiro growled. Yuu, the smarter of the pair as proven a few times, switched his entire focus to Sakura and Haku. But Haku sat himself on the window ledge, hands clasped on his lap like he was enjoying a show. Yuu turned to Sakura and his expression did not seem relieved at having only her as an opponent. 

Yoshiro stepped forwards, not even focused on Sakura, snarling at Zabuza over her head. 

Sakura took a deep breath well aware of Zabuza and Haku’s attention on her. Well aware of Yoshiro’s simmering anger and Yuu’s fear. Well aware of Gato spitting mad. She took another breath, chest still swelled with rage. She wrapped her chain around one hand, gripped her bloody kunai with the other as she looked at the three men who were responsible for the majority of her fear and pain. Yuu and his disregard and his faint glee. Yoshiro and the threat he represented and promised with every look. Gato and this entire fucking situation. 

Yoshiro moved first, looking to go past Sakura to strike Zabuza. Sakura’s foot connected with his head quicker than he could even begin to focus on her. The crash he made slamming into the wall was glorious. Sakura flipped out of her kick and redirected her attention as Yuu tried to smartly take advantage of her attack. She dodged his blade by a hair’s width, ducking her head aside and coming up with her kunai. Her kunai caught him across the stomach and she dug the point in even as she ripped it across. She didn’t cut deep enough to disembowel him but he howled none the less, blood gushing. 

He stumbled back, his sword dropping from one hand in pain. His pain cost him and Sakura’s chain wrapped fist caught him across the skull. He dropped like a sack of stones as his skull fractured under her blow. Sakura left him in a growing puddle of blood knowing he was dead, or close enough he wasn’t a threat anymore. He was dead to her and she treated it with same disregard he’d treated her; faint glee somewhere behind the uncaring face. Yoshiro was recovering and Sakura kicked him in the chest hard enough to knock his breath out. Sakura left him choking for air and moved to Gato. Gato was screaming something, threats or pleas, but she was deaf to them. 

Sakura looked up at Zabuza and the grin he offered was all the answer she needed. Sakura planted her knee in Gato’s back and grabbed his hair. She pulled his head back despite how he fought and brought her kunai up. The cut she pulled across his throat was deep and done with steadier hands than she’d had in weeks. She let his body drop forwards, the kunai in his hands keeping him pinned to the desk despite how his weight tried to drag him down. The silence after his screaming, his babbling, his fucking voice, was beautiful. 

Yoshiro was back on his feet, hacking in obvious pain and she wondered if she’d broke any ribs. She moved towards him as if in a haze. The rage still frothed in her but her hands were steady. He went for his sword and she cut it out of his hand, scoring a deep slice across his fingers. He tried to lunge to the left and Sakura met him. The chain clinked like glass as she threw it out. She dropped her kunai and caught the other end of the chain with her now free hand. It looped almost poetically in the air.

Sakura pulled the chain tight, giving it a twist like Iruka-sensei had showed them how to with ninja wire. She planted a foot in the small of his back and pulled.

“When I’m done with you,” Sakura said breathlessly, “You’ll be ruined for any other.”

He struggled, jerking in her hold but Sakura held tight, pulling the chain so tight he couldn’t even get out a gasp. She held on tightly even as he twitched and slowed, movements growing sluggish. It was less than ten seconds until he went limp. She held on for a minute longer.

When she finally let go her body nearly rebelled, wanting to keep pulling, keep applying pleasure. It was more work to make herself relax, to let the chain dip loose, than it had been to fight. The rage that had been boiling and frothing inside of her started to evaporate like water vapour, as if satisfied. Sakura flinched hard as a hand landed on her shoulder. She looked up into Zabuza’s face. He was grinning still.

“Good job,” he told her.

Sakura didn’t even have the energy to nod. She was curiously empty of anything now that the rage was gone. She let Zabuza take the chain out of her hand, let him give Yoshiro a good kick. Haku took the pouch of weapons from her as Zabuza started to root through Gato’s desk.

“Let’s go,” Haku smiled prettily at Sakura. 

She took his offered hand and let him lead her out the window and to the ground. Sakura got a good look at the destruction Haku had leveled as they made their way towards the dock. She doubted a single thug left on the island was alive. Zabuza joined them before they reached Gato’s boat and looked quite pleased with himself, his sword shouldered.

Sakura sat on glistening white leather and watched with only the faintest bit of attention as Haku got the boat running. 

“Hit the port,” Zabuza said, “You had your fun, it’s my turn now.”

Haku smiled. Sakura reached into her yukata and pulled her granola bar out. It tasted absolutely wonderful.

.--.

Haku stayed in the boat even as Zabuza scooped Sakura out of her seat like she was a bag of rice. He made hand signs as they stepped out onto the water and a thick fog started to rise up. Zabuza jogged forwards, following the bend of shore even as he let his fog grow thick around them, following them across the surface. Sakura blinked through the haze and automatically clung to Zabuza as he took a running leap. The jump was high and fast and she was shocked back to attention as they flashed upwards.

When Zabuza landed, Sakura abruptly realized where they were; realized why Haku was manning the boat and why they’d stopped around the curve of the shore.

They stood on Tazuna’s nearly completed bridge. 

Sakura barely had time to come to this stunned realization before she was dropped on her ass.

“Stay,” Zabuza ordered. 

She stayed. He disappeared into his own fog and she heard a faint thump in the distance. And then another. And another. She realized that was the sound of bodies hitting the ground and knew Zabuza was putting Tazuna’s workers out of commission. She wondered if he was killing them or simply knocking them out and found she didn’t really care either way. 

Zabuza was beside her again suddenly and Sakura twitched in surprise. He looked down at her and his face was furrowed with a frown, some sort of contemplation set in his jaw. There was a clink and Sakura tensed as she realized he had kept her chain in his pocket. She’d assumed he’d left it behind at Gato’s still wrapped around Yoshiro’s throat and she was unhappy that she’d been wrong. Sakura scrambled to her feet, eyes locked on Zabuza. 

“Be good now,” Zabuza said.

Sakura bared her teeth. 

“You can let me put it on or I can hold you down and do it,” Zabuza said lightly.

Sakura clenched her jaw as she snarled at him. This was not Gato’s orders anymore and he looked far too amused. She didn’t know what game he was playing but she was starting to get an idea. He stepped towards her and Sakura didn’t attack him. When he grabbed her roughly by the collar she growled but didn’t scratch his hands away. The sound of the chain snapping closed to the collar made something tremble down her spine. 

“Now we wait,” Zabuza said, a grin in his voice. 

He sat himself down on a pile of lumber, looking as indolent as he did on Gato’s couch, like a like a thug on a throne. With a faint tug Sakura stood beside him but refused to sit at his feet like usually despite the tighter tug. He let it go. The air was silent; heavy and damp with fog, the air seemed even more quiet than usual. Sakura strained her ears for any hint of what Zabuza was waiting for. 

“Do you know how to flare your chakra?” Zabuza asked idly.

Sakura glanced at him and gave a shake of her head.

“Its’s sort of like disrupting a genjutsu,” Zabuza said, “When you use kai you flare your chakra which breaks genjutsu. Most jonin can sense chakra if they’re close enough, and a flare is a good way to gain their attention.”

Sakura stared at him and he turned a grin on her. The fog was dissipating, getting lighter and lighter. 

Sakura flared her chakra.

The sound of dogs hit Sakura before she even heard her team. The fog was still thick enough to obscure the land, but sound travelled better in it now and the click of claws against cement and the sound of snarls echoed across the open bridge. There was sound at the end of the bridge as well, someone on the land discovering the first fallen workman but Sakura didn’t care for them right now.

Sakura felt her eyes grow wide, her pupils dilate with a reaction of fear as she caught the first flash of teeth and fur. The hounds that prowled out of the fog were all snarling, fur on end. Sakura made a sound low in her throat of terror and Zabuza glanced at her. She was close enough she was nearly pressed up to his side and she had the inane wish to simply climb to his shoulders to be out of reach of the hounds that were prowling around them, surrounding them with growls. 

The last of the fog this high up dissipated even as Sakura tried to keep her attention on all the dogs around them. They hadn’t attacked yet but they looked ready too. The air grew heavy as Zabuza grinned down at the newcomers; Team Seven stood at the end of the bridge, the bridge-builder Tazuna carefully kept behind them. Sakura barely glanced at them, more concerned with the dogs that were around them. Sakura had yearned for her team for weeks, had dreamed of seeing them again; but the fear in her bones refused to be distracted. The dogs wore Konoha headbands like ninja and Sakura, somewhere in her terrified mind, knew they must be summons. But Sakura could only see flashing teeth and her arm throbbed in time with her terror.

Kakashi-sensei jerked towards them feet carrying him closer, a kunai in hand as he stalked exactly like the hounds, but Zabuza merely sat and looked at him. 

“Ah,” Zabuza grinned nastily, “Stay right there.”

He gave a harsh tug on the chain and Sakura choked, fingers instinctively scrambling at it to alleviate the pressure as she tried to keep her face turned towards the dogs. The snarl that came out of Kakashi-sensei’s mouth was more like an animal’s than a mans but he did indeed stop.

“Get rid of the dogs Hatake and maybe I’ll be in the mood to talk,” Zabuza ordered. 

The dogs lingered for but a second before they vanished in plumes of smoke. Sakura couldn’t help the relief she felt at their disappearance and sagged against the collar as her heart rate stopped jack-rabbiting so hard. 

“It seems you lost something,” Zabuza announced, “A pretty little student ripe for the taking. Careless of you.”

Sakura finally turned towards her team. Kakashi-sensei’s eyes were locked on Zabuza, the red one spinning and his expression was one of anger, that lazy droopy look long gone. Behind Kakashi-sensei Naruto and Sasuke both had their hands ready, attention locked on the adults. She was too far away to see their expression but from the low growls echoing from Naruto they were unhappy. 

Sakura found herself glancing up at Zabuza, unsure. He seemed to be enjoying himself. 

“If you’ve touched her,” Kakashi-sensei said, voice strong and sharp.

“Oh, too late for warnings like that, Hatake,” Zabuza laughed, “Gato gave her to me the first night he caught her. This little thing has been in my bed every night since.”

This time Kakashi-sensei’s snarl was echoed by Naruto and Sasuke, the anger cutting in the din. Kakashi-sensei’s look morphed from anger to frothing rage and his killing intent rose like a tidal wave. Sakura shuddered under it despite the fact it was not leveled at her. 

“You’ve probably dreamed once or twice of the sounds she might make when she was fucked well,” Zabuza taunted, “You’ve probably gripped your cock to the image of the way she might cry and beg.”

Kakashi-sensei jerked forward half a step and seemed one minute away from ripping Zabuza’s throat out with his teeth. Zabuza pulled the chain taunt again as a threat and Sakura kept her fingers locked around the collar. 

“No?” Zabuza mocked, “Well tell me Hatake; what would you give to have her back?”

“What do you want?” Kakashi-sensei asked, his teeth grinding audibly.

“I’m not sure I want to give her up yet,” Zabuza laughed, “I just want to know what you’d give. Would you hand over the bridge builder?”

“I’d kill him myself,” Kakashi-sensei said with no hesitation.

Sakura felt something float through her and realized it was desperate relief. Somewhere in the depth of her mind she’d worried that Kakashi-sensei wouldn’t try and get her back, not at any real cost. Maybe the time in Gato’s had fucked her up, maybe this day had been just too much, but Sakura was sure she’d cry with joy if Kakashi-sense cut Tazuna’s throat just for her. 

Neither Sasuke nor Naruto protested and behind her team Tazuna had paled. 

“Hmm. I think a prize like this is a little more expensive than one measly man’s life,” Zabuza grinned as he stood slowly, “I even trained her up for you. She knows how to heel and how to beg now.”

Zabuza rose from his seat like a predator, fluid and dangerous, somehow unlike the gruff man who she’d been around for the past few weels. She was only slightly surprised when he kicked her legs out and her knees hit the pavement hard enough to maker her wince. Zabuza planted a foot in her back and then wrenched on the chain making her arch her back, collar strangling her. Sakura was more than used to getting choked these days and barely struggled. 

“Go on, show him,” Zabuza told her, “Beg.”

“Kakashi-sensei,” Sakura choked out, fingers gripping the bloody leather to try and give her the space to actually speak.

“Not him,” Zabuza tsked, “Me. Beg me.”

Sakura grit her teeth, straining against the stiff leather and the boot planted against her spine. After a moment Zabuza moved his foot and reeled her back in until she was gasping again, standing on her tip toes as he leaned over her. 

“Beg me to let you go,” he growled lowly, just for her ears.

Sakura choked and gasped and scrabbled at the collar. She thought of Yoshiro and his nice smile and how he wanted to rape her to death. She thought of how calmly Gato smiled at her as he threw her in the dog pit. She thought of Yuu laughing as she choked at his feet. She thought of how Haku smiled so prettily as he murdered people. 

She thought of Zabuza when he snarled at her, growled, yanked, and prodded. She thought of teeth sharp against her skin and telling Haku it was ‘for her own good’. Sakura thought of the way terror had put a permeant tremor in her hands that only quieted when Zabuza kept her close. Sakura remembered the way her heart rate sky-rocketed when a collar was placed on her neck, of Zabuza snarling and spitting about Gato’s orders. Sakura thought about stitches and baths and little bags with hot steamed buns. 

Sakura thought about Zabuza nudging her forward, saying ‘you’re up’. Sakura thought of Gato choking on his blood as she cut his throat, on Yuu’s skull crunching under her fist, on Yoshiro screaming soundlessly as she garroted him. 

“Fuck you,” she choked out at Zabuza.

Zabuza laughed, startled and surprisingly bright as he let her chain go slack.

“Yeah, you’ll be fine, brat,” he grinned.

And then he grabbed her by the scuff of her shirt and tossed her into the air. Sakura spun midair, grabbed her chain so she didn’t hang herself with it, and was all ready to land when Kakashi-sensei snatched her out of the air. 

Naruto and Sasuke reached Zabuza at the same time and both of their eyes burned red as they tried to shred him. He just laughed and gave Sakura a grin as he collapsed into a water clone. 

.--.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sakura gets her bloody revenge. It was all leading up to her being a feral BAMF. 
> 
> And Zabuza gives her back. I have been trying to portray Zabuza as an asshole who drew the line at raping and killing this genin, but also he had no idea how to not be an asshole. I think his whole back story and Haku story shows he does care about people, that he's not the monster people say he is, but that he has no idea how to be anything but mean. How he was raised and treated, he's trying to break out of that but has never been shown how to be anything but rough, violent, and mean. So he tried really hard to help Sakura in the only way he knew how; train her, give her a weapon, and let her get her own vengeance. 
> 
> And then taunt Kakashi cause why not? It's fun and he's not the type of guy to pat her on the head and say good luck.


	13. Pulled from the Current

Kakashi-sensei landed effortlessly, curled around Sakura like she was fragile, and for a moment they stayed like that; Kakashi-sensei coiled and clinging to her as Sakura panted and held her chain like a lifeline.

“Sakura!” Naruto yelled as he and Sasuke ran for them. 

Naruto was bawling, fat tears rolling down his face and even Sasuke had tears in his lashes. Kakashi was still curled around her and Sakura realized he was silently crying as well, holding her tightly like he’d never let go. Sakura stared at all the tears and panicked, not sure what to do in the face of them. One part of her wanted to cry too, but Sakura had learned too well not to cry when other people were looking at her.

“Let me up,” she said shakily.

Kakashi did so slow, uncurling as Naruto and Sasuke hovered. Naruto didn’t try to quiet his sobs as he bawled, wiping at his eyes. As soon as Sakura had her feet under her she took two swift steps back, still clinging to the chain. She stared at team who stared right back their relief palpable in the air. 

It started to sink in slowly, Sakura’s mind turning over all the new information that she was safe. It was like all the gears in her head had slowed as they tried to process this new revelation and Sakura stood in silence for what felt like forever. The sound of the chain hitting the pavement seemed to echo in her ears and then Sakura’s blunted nails were tearing at the collar around her neck, desperately trying to rip it off. 

Someone reached for her but Sakura didn’t know who. She jerked back out of reach, flinching away from the hands. A nail tore on the buckle edge and her hands became slick with blood as she jerked at the leather. Sakura managed to get the edge with wet fingers and pulled hard enough she choked herself while undoing it. The sound of the blood-stained collar hitting the ground was almost silent, but it seemed to ring in her ears. Sakura stood over it panting. The fine tremor that had taken up it’s home in her bones returned and Sakura stared at the collar. 

“Sakura,” someone called and Sakura flinched at the sound of her own name.

She stared at her team who stared back, wide eyed and worried.

“Sakura,” Kakashi-sensei repeated softly. 

“I’m fine,” Sakura gasped, “I’m fine.” 

The lie passed her lips effortlessly and Sakura knew it wasn’t completely a lie. She was with her team with that fucking collar off and so she was more fine than she’d been in the past weeks. 

“You’re covered in blood,” Sasuke said quietly in the din.

“It’s not mine,” she said, “I mean it’s mostly not mine.”

That made the stares worse and Sakura tried to remember a time she hadn’t had blood under her nails. 

“Sakura,” Kakashi-sensei murmured, “Can I give you a hug?”

Sakura could really use a hug she thought. But she could also use not having anyone touch her ever again.

“Can I say no?” she sniffled, unsure.

“Of course,” he said gently.

“Then I don’t want anyone touching me until I’ve washed the blood off,” Sakura wiped at her nose.

The tears hovered at the corner of her eyes but she couldn’t let them fall. The boys reached out for her, as if instinctive, but they stayed their hands from fully touching her. Naruto cried enough tears for the both of them and she felt something in her truly soften at the sight. She’d never really hated Naruto before, just been extremely annoyed with him most of the time. But now she couldn’t even dredge up as liver of that past annoyance. Instead she looked at the idiot crying hard enough his nose was running and his face was getting red and knew he had really missed her, that he had been missing her. It made something in Sakura settle (all those fears and doubts that she was just some no-name genin that no one really cared about if she got lost on a mission).

“Zabuza might be regrouping,” Kakashi-sensei said in the silence that stretched between them, “We need to get to safety.”

“Zabuza left,” Sakura said as if that was obvious considering he wasn’t attacking when he had all the advantage.

Kakashi-sensei slanted a look her way.

“Left?”

“He’s gone,” Sakura said, knowing the truth. 

Zabuza and Haku were long gone. 

“Gato is still a threat,” Kakashi-sensei said, but he said it like a test, watching her closely.

Sakura found herself smiling, her smile blossoming in the misery. It was a nice smile, one of the first in weeks and it hurt her cheeks and made something mean glow in her chest.

“Gato’s dead,” Sakura told him happily, like she was sharing a secret, “I slit his throat.”

Kakashi-sensei was watching her calmly, face unmoving at this news. He looked like a man trying to force stillness on himself to hide his reaction. Naruto was the one who looked at Sakura with horror, mouth opening. Sasuke stared at her with something close to horror and something closer to fascination; as if he is watching something break. 

“Yoshiro’s dead too,” Sakura blurted out not seeing her smile returned, “And Yuu. And all of Gato’s men.”

She looked for approval on their faces but remembered abruptly that, while they knew them as the enemy, they didn’t know their cruelty the way Sakura did. 

“I killed ten of them,” Sakura said, voice dimming as she found no approval on their faces, “I promise they’re really dead.”

Sakura was a shinobi. She’d been a little girl for a bit, and then a dog for a while, and finally a good hunting bitch. Sakura had proved she was really a shinobi with every blade lodged in soft skin and with the blood paining her face. But she was still a kid behind it all and she wanted approval for her actions, wanted them to understand that the mission was complete even if it had all went to hell along the way. Sakura looked between them and took a step back, away.

“I promise I did,” Sakura said, lip wobbling, “I made sure they were dead. I hunted Yoshiro down and I made sure Gato wouldn’t be a problem. The bridge is safe.” 

Kakashi-sensei reached for her again but the feeling of safety was gone when they stared at her like that. Sakura snarled at him, abrupt and sudden, shoulders hunching up. He froze at that and Sakura froze too- at the reaction he had startled out of her. She took another step back and nearly tripped over the very collar she’d thrown on the ground. 

“I…” Sakura faltered, lip trembling and the tears pressing harsher against her eyes. 

“Good job,” Kakashi-sensei said abruptly, “Good job Sakura, I’m proud of you.”

Sakura felt something like relief unclog her throat. Kakashi-sensei was proud of her. She’d done good. 

“Can…” Sakura wiped at her nose with her arm, uncaring of the blood it smeared, “Can I have something to eat?”

It was a tentative request, a sort of test. What Sakura really wanted was to be home in her bed. Maybe a bath. Sakura wanted none of this to have ever happened. Well, maybe Gato and Yoshiro dead; she could live with that pretty easily. But she knew food was probably something she could get right away, if she was lucky. 

“Of course,” Kakashi-sensei smiled at her, “Are you hungry?”

“I haven’t gotten much to eat. Well, Haku gave me some food this morning but I’m always hungry,” Sakura said. 

Kakashi-sensei nodded again, the same pleasant smile on his lips. 

“Naruto, can you make a bunch of clones and set them up on watch, just like we’ve been doing,” Kakashi-sensei said, “Sasuke, you’re with Tazuna.”

The boys looked between her and sensei and then nodded and obeyed. And wasn’t that a surprise; no arguing, no whining, just simple obedience. Sakura let Kakashi-sensei herd her towards the shore. He didn’t touch her but guided her to the base of the bridge and then down to the water-edge. He made her sit on the nice sand and pulled a protein bar out of a pocket. Sakura tore into it ravenous. She watched half-heartedly as Kakashi-sensei pulled a water bottle out for her next and then a cloth that he dipped in the ocean water before offering to her. Sakura took the damp cloth and slowly wiped it across her face, watching the blood smear. 

“You’re sure Zabuza is gone?” Kakashi-sensei asked her.

“Yeah. Gato betrayed him so they cut their losses,” Sakura said, “I’m glad he brought me back first.”

Kakashi-sensei looked pained as he watched her wipe the blood from her face.

“Do you…” he winced, “Do you need any medical attention?”

“No,” Sakura said. 

“He said…” Kakashi-sensei tried to breath evenly, “Sakura, there is no shame in injury.”

Sakura stared at him for a long time.

“I’m not ashamed of my injuries,” she finally said, “They mean I survived.”

Kakashi-sensei nodded slowly.

“Zabuza mentioned…” Kakashi-sensei tried again, “Sakura, there is no shame in rape either. But I must know if you need any medical attention.”

“Don’t listen to Zabuza,” Sakura said automatically, “…I stopped listening to him a long time ago. He doesn’t say what he means.”

Kakashi-sensei just gave her a pained look that he tried to hide under the stillness and calm again.

“I wasn’t raped,” Sakura said finally, her tongue heavy around the words.

She looked down at her hands, at the empty wrapper, at the sand; anywhere but at Kakashi-sensei. 

“Yoshiro wanted too,” Sakura said, “Tried to catch me a few times. But Zabuza protected me. He even let me kill Yoshiro in the end. I strangled him to death with my chain.”

Kakashi-sensei sat beside Sakura slowly, his movements still wide and careful, like he was going to spook her. Sakura admitted to herself if he moved to quickly she might jump, but not because she was scared of him.

“Zabuza protected you?” Kakashi-sensei asked, and this time his voice was soft.

“Yeah,” Sakura nodded, “He saved me from Yoshiro the first night and tried really hard to keep the other thugs from touching me. He even argued with Gato about it despite the fact Gato threatened to fire him.”

Kakashi-sensei was looking at her closely and he looked like he was really listening so Sakura continued to talk. 

“He was rough and really mean,” Sakura admitted, “But he saved me a bunch. Yoshiro wanted to rape me to death and Gato wanted to bury me in a ditch but Zabuza stopped them by saying I was his.”

“…You were wearing a collar, Sakura,” Kakashi-sensei said, voice sad and hurt.

“Gato ordered it,” Sakura said, “He called me Zabuza’s bitch.”

Kakashi-sensei kept slouching further and further as if her words pained him and she wanted to tell him it was all okay now. She also wanted to tell him it was silly that he was letting the past hurt so much; it was all done and no amount of wishing would undo it. Sakura was just glad she’d lived. 

“Can…” Sakura paused, “Can I go into the ocean?”

“You want to wash off,” he said.

“I…” Sakura paused. 

She knew everything she told Kakashi-sensei seemed to hurt him but Sakura felt the words bubbling out now that she could talk without fear. 

“I haven’t had a bath in while,” she said, “And I’m used to the dry blood now, but I’d like to get it off. If that’s okay?”

“That’s more than okay,” Kakashi-sensei said, “I will keep watch but I promise I will turn my back.”

Sakura shrugged and stood. She untied her sleeveless kimono top, the light blue long since stained beyond recognition. Her green pants were just as terrible, and she kicked them too the side. Then she was wading into the chilly water. It was cold but Sakura didn’t care a single whit as she sat down in the water. She was still a little tired, her legs shaky from so much used up energy and fighting. So she sat in the shallows and scrubbed the blood from her skin. Her hair came blessedly clean even without any soap. 

Sakura ducked out of the water and tried to shake any excess water off until Kakashi-sensei tossed a towel over his shoulder at her.

“Do you have all your things sealed?” Sakura asked.

“We’ve been camping out hidden in the woods. It was best to keep things close. I tried to find your things after the ambush but…”

“I had my pack when I was caught,” Sakura finished for him, “The thugs tossed it off the boat when we were heading to Gato’s.”

She thought idly about that first day, the terror and the panic, the thug pawing through her things and taunting her by dangling her underwear before her and their filthy promises. She was pretty sure she had killed that asshole with a shuriken to the throat. She toweled off and looked at her bloody clothes. They were still damp with blood and she didn’t really want to pull them on.

“Do…do you think the boys would lend me some clothes?” Sakura asked. 

“Yeah,” Kakashi said.

He offered her one of his blue uniform shinobi shirts for now and she pulled it on happily. She wrapped the towel around her waist and followed Kakashi back up the slope. He let her linger in the shadows of the bridge entrance as he went to the boys. He returned with a pair of orange pants that Sakura pulled on without hesitation.

“Can I keep this shirt?” Sakura asked, “I can just roll up the sleeves.”

Sasuke had offered her one of his wide collar shirts but she didn’t really want her neck so on display. Kakashi-sensei nodded and helped her roll the sleeves up. The shirt was rather large on her but that wasn’t bad either. She knew she looked like a fashion disaster but she was just so happy to be here. Kakashi-sensei took his towel back, sealing it as she watched.

“Kakashi-sensei,” she said tentatively.

He looked over at her.

“Can I have that hug now?”

He pulled her into a soft slow embrace and Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his shirt and tried to breath around the feeling of elation that bubbled up through her.

She was safe now, she was sure of that.

.--.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. That's the end of this arch. Kakashi and the boys aren't sure of this new Sakura they're left with but they're happy to have her back. 
> 
> Look for my next work in this series. I'm going to do a short fic of Kakashi's POV on their journey home.
> 
> I'm also working on an AU where she doesn't get back to Kakashi and the boys at the bridge.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is going to be a dark ride. I will post warnings before each chapter if there is going to be any violence. 
> 
> For the little we hear of Gato, he's cruel, and a bit stupid about how he sees shinobi, but he's not an idiot. If he wanted Tazuna caught he'd do more than rely on the shinobi he plans to betray. And out of all of Team Seven, Sakura is the weak link. 
> 
> Fear can make you sloppy and it got Sakura caught. 
> 
> Zabuza isn't a good man, but neither is he cruel. He definitely has a mean streak though.


End file.
